Cursed Blood
by dfourthhorseman
Summary: Hidden from history, there existed a single vampire clan, the Uzamaki clan, but its history is more mystery than that which was foretold. By a turn of events, Naruto is soon to discover just what fate has in store for him. AnkoNaruSaku. OOCness.
1. Prologue

**Cursed Blood**

**Synopsis:** _Vampires are not mere legends. Hidden from the history of the world, there existed a single vampire clan: the Uzamaki clan. Forever destined to carry the powers and burdens of their cursed blood, the wheels of fate has began to turn once more, this time upon their last surviving member. As Naruto is awaken to the truth of his heritage, he will soon be torn between the worlds of light and darkness. AnkoNaruSaku. OOCness._ (UPDATED)

This is my first fanfic. I've been reading FF, RK, and Naruto ones for a long time, but never thought I had the time to actually write one myself. But then I finally realized with all the time I put in those reviews, I could have wrote some sort of story.

The pairings like I said, I have not decided upon yet. Its obviously based on Naruto and I think I'm gonna put in 2 females characters: Sakura, Hina, Ino, or TenTen. Most likely two from the first three, vote for it if you'd like, it would help me decide. A love triangle can provide enough humorous relief for the story to be easier to read, since it may get a little dark. Please R&R, all comments would be helpful. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Prologue - Origins_

There have been many theories regarding the origins of vampires, that race of man-like demons who roam the world, guaranteed to a life of youth and power and damned to a life of darkness an isolation.

There is no such thing as a wrong speculation as each holds some truth on its own. There are those that say they are a clan of humans or angels would sided with Lucifer in the battle against God and his angels, and thus were reduced to their current form as a punishment from God. There are others that say they are the fruits of the forbidden love between humans and demons, whose children are forever filled with the dark desires of the vile demon blood, yet forever clinging to their ever fading strands of humanity.

Very few still believe that in the early days of the world, when the human race has just began its tread upward, the world was plagued with evil, there was one noble clan, in an act of defiance against the neutrality of God, sacrificed itself for eternity by making a pact with the devil himself.

For decades, they strived to learn and harness their unholy power, while battling the demons, monsters, and divinities that cursed this world. Finally, after the dust from the final last battle had cleared, with over half of the clan having been wiped out, and the world was finally safe. It during this hour of celebration that they found out about how truly vile their pact with the devil had been and just how much they have damned their generations for millenniums to come.

With the demons of the world gone, scared humans turned back to greedy humans, as the other clans soon turned their hatred toward this noble clan, eager to take their ample wealth and power. Trying to protect their ancient family line, the clan tried to fight off hordes and hordes of armies, even other clans who also made similar dark pacts in the war against the demons, but soon all the clan's branch members had sacrificed their lives for the safety of the main branch. Seeing how truly wicked and damned this land was, the chief of the clan, the one who originally made the pact with the devil, using a forbidden jutsu, exchanged his eternal life and damned his soul forever in hell by turning himself into a demon and using his last few moments of consciousness as a human to forever seal the clan's dark powers and sending the clan a land far, far away.

So for centuries, the remaining royal members of the clan, still possessing certain key traits of a vampire such as immortality and a hunger for blood, wandered the uninhabitable land they were sent to, seeking to their sanctuary. That was when they finally reached the elemental countries during their war against a small clan of demons that plagued their land. Joining forces with the countries, they soon achieved victory. In light of their power and virtue, one of the newly established villages offered them an invitation to be apart of the Hidden Leaf Village, even after learning about their curse. So the clan finally settled down after their long exodus.

With only a few top officials of the council knowing the truth about the clan, and thanks to the additional sealing techniques that this village had, they were able to seal and suppress their remaining desire and hidden abilities, and used powerful illusions to make themselves seem like they were aging. As time passed, and their blood mixed with those of other clans, their blood began to slowly reverse back to their original form. Even the descendants were not told about the truth of their heritage as they, too, were caught up in the illusion.

This clan soon became the most powerful clan in all of Konoha, holding all the virtues and merits that ran in their noble blood, intertwined with the dark blood of the devil that can never be removed. Only the Hyuga and Uchiha rivaled them in power and influence. Finally, one day, one of its members even managed to achieve the title of Hokage, the most prestige title in the entire village.

That is when tragedy struck again, as the wheel of fate began to turn once more. After years and generations of relative peace, the land was not ready for the coming of another demon, one whose power rivaled that of all others they had fought before. As the Kyubi, the nine-tailed fox demon, appeared out of nowhere, even the entire clan and village could not stop it. As the death toll climbed and the very existence of the village was in danger, the Yondaime used his trump card: a forbidden sealing technique that his clan created in the early days soon after the union between their clan and the rest of the village. Forced to seal the demon in a body of a clan member, he had to make the ultimate sacrifice. He sealed it in the body of the last surviving member of the entire clan, his newborn child.

As time passed, and the child grew up as a normal boy, never knowing about his true heritage, it seemed as if the clan's legacy would finally fade into the realm of myths and legends, taking with it all the secrets it held. Fate, however, had a different plan. Through a simple change, the future of this particular boy and world would be forever altered from its original course. We begin our story in the Forest of Death in the Hidden Leaf Village during their annual Chuunin Exam...


	2. Invisible Clouds

I hope you guys liked the first chapter. The revised version simply split the paragraphs up a little more for an easier time reading.

Well these beginning chapters aren't too hard to write, I'm sure writer's block will settle in later when the plot becomes more complex. I hope no one's disappointed I jumped to the Chuunin exam already, but I wanted to get by the repetitive part and just focus on how Naruto's life is gonna divert from its original course.

Disclaimer: So far Naruto is still not mine.

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Formatting:

"Blah" – Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking

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Invisible Clouds_

The sun was high in the sky, and there was not a cloud in sight. But through the dense trees of the Forest of Death, it meant nothing. For this particular patch of earth seemed to have been abandoned by mother nature, for it gave off an aura of vile corruption. What idiotic humans without a death wish would dare to venture in? The answer for this day would be the genins of the elemental countries, all competing for their share in the chunnin examination.

Each village had sent their very best for this exam. It was a show of power and pride, and no one would be going down without a fight. The Hidden Leaf Village had nominated a large number of teams, even some of their rookie teams. Among their teams, one of the main spotlights was on Team Seven, lead by Hatake Kakashi, the infamous copy ninja. They were rumored to have completed a class A mission, though the details were classified for reasons unknown.

The star of the team would be Uchiha Sasuke, the number one rookie in the village and the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan. He is always to be trailed by Haruno Sakura, a pink haired girl that still have not matured enough to let go of a teenage crush. However, after the recent classified mission in the Water Country, people around her has noticed her behavior has been much improved. Now the last, but not the least, member is the ever loud and surprising, Uzamaki Naruto, a true diamond in the rough.

Ever since the battle with the Demon of the Mist, he has been having nightmares. In one word, they were terrifying. Depictions and images of wars, battles, massacres, murders, and suicides each crept their way into his mind on certain nights, bitter memories of his childhood on other nights, and rare images of people and places he had never seen before in the remaining nights. He has always been an energetic boy, so the lack of sleep never showed much, but he didn't know how long he can keep the charade up. He tried to remember the details in these nightmares, but whenever he tried he would get a splitting headache, his back muscle would hurt, and his body would feel like it was on fire. He didn't want to bother Iruka-sensei, the Hokage, or Kakashi-sensei with his problems, especially during this busy season. He did not want to turn to just anyone, for if rumors got out about this, well let's just say he was enough of an outcast already in this village. So since he didn't have anyone else to turn to, he just had to try and ignore them, and hope they will fade with time.

No one noticed his change in attitude, except he was less vibrant and spontaneous now, but most others thought it was simply a case of him finally maturing. The only big change in him was that ramen can no longer satisfy him anymore. After he had come back from the mission, he grew sick just from the smell of ramen, which horrified him and the shop keepers beyond recognition. They even began offering free samples and two-for-one deals to him, but still it didn't work. He found that he had taken a liking to meat, and that he liked them cooked as rare as possible. He would have gone to a doctor, but he disliked how the doctors and nurses at the hospital treated him as if he had leprosy. On the plus side, he seems to be getting better, though ramen still doesn't seem nearly as addictive as before, he can now tolerate it. But in the short span of time he wasn't eating ramen; two shops already went bankrupt and changed their businesses to steakhouse and sukiyaki.

"Dobe, stop daydreaming and pay attention." That would be the ever so sensitive Sasuke, causing Naruto to get snap out of his train of thoughts. Mumbling under his breath, Naruto put his worries on the side and listened.

"...so come and get your scrolls now. We will began soon after. That will be all."

Naruto facefaulted. '_Aww crap, just when I was planning on surprising Sakura-chan with my maturity and new sense of responsibility, this had to happen. I just gotta try to make my way through this and hope to dear God that Sasuke doesn't notice.'_

And as luck would have it, Sasuke, thanks to his calm and detached nature, was an unusually observant person. He smirked and asked Naruto, "So you got all the instructions right?"

"O-Of course, what you think I am, an idiot?" Naruto responded a little too quickly, and tried to hide his nervousness by laughing.

"I never doubted you for a second. So tell me what's your plan?"

Naruto just stared at him for a little too long and muttered curses in his head that this PG-13 story should not show, but being a quick thinker, he thought of an idea. "Why don't you tell me yours first? Unless you're afraid mine is better than that of the infamous Uchiha Sasuke..."

Sasuke normally wouldn't care much about the idiot not paying attention, but he will never forgive anyone for belittling his family name. So, he rose to the challenge, "Fine, since we all understand that the target of our mission is to steal the protector from our assigned jounin, I suggest we go about it by a flanking attack, now in this Naruto will...." As Sasuke continued his explanation, Naruto was listened attentively, nodding along as he listened, hoping to catch on all the information he could. What he did not notice was that behind him, Sakura just discovered how hard it was to stifle laughter and breathe at the same time.

"Ok I see, I'm impressed Sasuke, a truly well made plan indeed. Now, if it is a guy I suggest my Harem no Jutsu, if it's a girl you can just attack naked, and if it is Kakashi-sensei, we should try to unmask him as well..." Naruto suddenly felt like he had forgotten something. '_Didn't the loud examiner mention scrolls? What do scrolls have to do with unmasking....oh my god, I am going to beat that Sasuke up so bad some day.' _Although he was thinking this, even if he didn't want to admit it, he was glad that Sasuke seems to be lightening up a little. Besides, as a true prankster, he doesn't take it to mind all that much.

"Ok ok, ha ha, you had your little fun." Naruto laughed sarcastically. "Fine, I admit it, I didn't get all of it, would you, Sakura, mind stop laughing on the floor and you, Sasuke, stop snickering and turn back to your normal anti-social self, and just tell me the real instructions?" Naruto sighed, beginning to lose his patience. Finally as his eyes began twitching, the two finally stopped and told him.

The team then began to make their plans, but not with out an occasional tease against each other. Though they fumed and felt nervous about this exam, they still felt relaxed at heart.

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In another part of the village, the Hokage was busy filing paper work. He looked forward to the coming Chuunn exam, especially to a few of the candidates. And almost instinctively, his eyes went to the wall hangings of the other three Hokages, especially the Yondaime. Just when he was about to sigh and go back to work, he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Hokage-sama, I am here to report something that the night shift guards have been noticing lately," reported an Anbu captain.

The Sandaime's eyes narrowed the slightest bit, and calmly replied, "Yes?"

"We have been noticing a dark aura during the nights, thought it is faint, we are sure it is there. Some of the men think it is similar but not quite the same as that of the Kyubi. Even though it has the same touch of despicable presence, instead of anger, this one is filled with sorrow and an hunger." The Anbu captain was beginning to become uneasy just by continuing to describe the aura he felt during those nights. "But regardless, I request your permission to immediately launch an investigation regarding this. Its presence has been getting weaker lately, and if we do not act now, we may lose our chance to find out the cause, so…"

"That's enough," the Hokage interrupted. His normal calm and soothing tone has been replaced by one of seriousness.

"But-"

"But nothing!" The Hokage nearly shouted. "You and your men are hereby under my direct order to forget all information you have just revealed to me and abandon all of your curiosity, there never was any dark auras, it was all a figment of your imagination due to the exhaustion from the night shifts. Your team is to be hereby given a three day rest and then reassigned to a day time post. Disregarding these orders will result in your team's immediate suspension, and you will all be turned into genins once more. Is that understood?"

The Anbu captain, having survived countless battles and lethal wounds, could do nothing but reply an affirmative to the Hokage-sama's direct order. After bowing in respect, he quickly left to inform his squad of the news.

After being left alone, the Hokage thought to himself. '_An aura similar to that of the Kyubi yet possessing a mixture of sorrow and hunger. Sorrow and hunger. Those two words reminds me of so many things. The loss of loved ones and the acknowledgement of new ones, much like that Naruto. Even hunger seems to describe that bottomless pit he call a stomach for ramen, even on my salary, raising him wouldn't be easy.' _The Hokage warmly recalled the memories and scenes of the child, his father, their clan---! '_No, it couldn't possibly be. There is no way for that cursed blood to activate itself again. Yet, I can't help shake off this feeling that something is about to happen.' _The Hokage walked up to his glass ball and looked into it at a laughing image of Naruto. '_Naruto, my dear boy, be strong in the face of whatever danger the fates have in store for you. Remember that you are not destined anything, you must fight for your own future and destiny.'_

_ 'Perhaps it is time I call Jiraiya back from his travels, he may be needed soon.'_ The Hokage signed while rubbing his temples. He looked at the time, '_it should be starting now.'_

The gates leading into the center of the Forest of Death opened, and all 12 teams entered. Part II of the Chuunin exam has just begun.


	3. Unforseen Shift

I must say thank you too all those who have read this story, and double the thanks to those that reviewed. I have been told my writing style takes after whatever book I happen to be reading while I'm writing, and I am gonna read some techno thrillers soon, so get ready for some action later on.

As for the pairing, I've been running through it in my head and listening to all your suggestions, and I've been trying to find two female characters (I don't really feel like creating an OC, since the readers usually don't connect to them very well) that will fit the scenes and scenarios I will be putting them in later on. So right now I must say my order of candidates from most to least likely are Hinata, Anko, Ino, Sakura, TenTen, Temari, Kurenai, and Tsundai. On that note, as glad as I am for all the suggestions on pairing, I gotta remind y'all that this story is more focused on vampire/angst/supernatural, though romance is an essential key to tying it all together. So please, a lil comments and suggestions on the other aspects of the story will be great.

I have taken 5 years of mandatory latin, so I'm gonna start integrating them in. It may not be completely grammatically correct, but the conjugation and declension should be. I think if I was to put up a translation for them, it may go better if they appear the following chapters or the bottom the chapter, but I can't decide which. Or maybe translate the whole thing in the end. Mainly because there is just some sort of feeling you get when you hear latin, even if you don't understand the exact words, so try to just pronounce them, I think it helps. I'm just so glad I found a use for the language; nothing puts God and devils together than latin.

Oh and for the music that would provide the theme for this entire story, I believe L'ArcEnCiel got it covered very well. I recommend All Dead, Hitomi no Jyuunin, Fate, Niji, Anemone, and Dune. A nice blend of melody and rhymth, with a touch of sorrow.

Right now while the story is still in its early stage, I can do this but later, its gonna be hard trying to respond to everyone.__

**Dragon's Shadow:** Thank you for being the first to review. Personally, I don't like the quiet yet brave instead personality of Hinata as much as I like the tough-on-the-outside-but-soft-on-the-inside personality of Sakura and Ino.

**Kitty:** Don't worry there will be tons more. I'm planning to make this a really long story. But I'm still trying to decide how complex its going to be. I even considered adding in stuff about Heaven and Hell, like angels and stuff, in, but then I thought that it may cause me to divert from the Naruto story a lil too much.

**Jenniyah:** I only used the story to show how innocent these young ninjas still are. With the story getting darker soon, I'm gonna be using the love triangle and romance to help ease some of that angst. I still can't really believe I actually put that in there, I may try and replace it with something a lil less stupid. Thank you for pretending that it was funny, that was very considerate of you.

**Hitomi No Ryu:** Well I'm sure about cannibalism where he actually eat flesh, but there will be the turmoil and hunger that comes with being the last surviving vampire in the world. You know humanity vs vampire, light vs dark, a lot of room to play with.

**elementforlife:** Well, TenTen was on my initial list, but the thing is I know very little about her, and find it hard to make a personality for her, but the good thing about her is that I can rewrite her personality completely. But my goal for the begining of the story was to show how it would diverge from the original, so like those Ino and Sakura would then be the best characters for it. Especially with their clingy characters, I can make good use on their current lack of maturity.

**Shadow Eclipse:** I'll consider not using Sakura since she really is too mean to Naruto in the original, but then again, it may work in my favor, like with the whole 180 turn in attitude, but I will keep it in mind. As for a NaruSasu, I'm sorry but absolutely no, I'm not good with writing yaoi and don't quite wanna imagine myself good with it, and there already has been quite a lot on the two of them. I can deepen their friendship a lot, which I was planning for Naruto and one of the male characters, but not to the level of intimacy. Sorry to disappoint.

**Gelionlegends:** Thanks for your comments. I almost completely forgot about the instructors, especially Anko. I can think of some great ways to use her in it. Thank you so much for this suggestion. As for how the love triangle is gonna work, well considering it is a dark fic about vampires, then you can just let your imagination do the work.

**Hexgar:** Hmmmm, I wasn't planning on a main character death but I think I'm allowed to do that in PG13 rating right? Are there any other main character's deaths that you won't miss? I personally found Kiba a lil annoying…lol. You'll just have to wait and see, but I promise there will be deaths.

**Delores, Gato-san Jr, SoulDemon80, Gopu:** Thanks for your review, I hope you'll stay around cause I plan on making this long. Oh and please try to do some criticism on this story, its my first so making it better would be a definite plus.

**Dragon89:** Thanks for your review. The problem I have with those two girls is that I can't find it easy to visualize them in the story as I intented for the two girls. But I'll decide as I move along in the story. Hinata's isolation from her family can work for me. I don't know about Sakura though, since I don't remember any of her parents being shown, I can make up some stuff about her past. But stayed tuned, you never know how a writer may change his mind.

**Naruke:** Well I have heard many adjectives describing my writing style, but never "archaic." Lol. But I understand what you mean, sort of anyways, I just finished some old books for college and their old styles is affecting me just a lil. I'm glad you liked the prologue, I had three versions made, I'm glad this version worked.

**Sam:** I just think the two female characters will fit in the story well, but that doesn't mean the other female characters won't have a near-intimate relationship with Naruto as well, I wanna keep things a lil open for now, especially how I wanna do Naruto. I have so many ideas, its really a hard job to decide. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I'll just say you will not be disappointed by how I do it.

**Plur:** Yes Naruto as a vampire was something I thought would actually suit Naruto well. But the real question is, is Naruto just a normal vampire? Heheh.

Disclaimer: Like every other fanfic writer, I don't own Naruto. I'm new to this, but do I have to do this for every single chapter?

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Formatting:

"Blah" – Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking

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****

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Unforseen Shift_

**_Ab aeterno, fuerint Agni Dei._**

_'I don't need a wedding or a marriage, just being with you is enough. Lets flee far away from the sanctuary of God forever. Even if I am to be damned to purgatory, as long as you are with me, I will have no regret...God? GOD?!? Mankind is on the brink of extinction and you talk about God?...You must never use that forbidden jutsu, even at the risk of our clan fading into the realm of history and myths...We, the council, has convened to decide that we will hereby disacknowledge the existence of the Uzamki clan...God has abandoned us all...God will be with us always...This unholy marriage will never be allowed! Mizuki, think about what exactly you will be doing!...You have betrayed us all...You actually think it will be a real negotiation...We may be sinners but we sin for necessity, never for greed... Yondaime-sama, something tragic has just happened...There is no other choice! Take every last surviving member and wait for me at the holy shrine...May God have mercy on our souls...Was this what destiny really had in store for us...'_ "...no more…" Naruto pleaded in his sleep.

Ever since Naruto entered the forest, he had felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach and on the back of his hair. It wasn't fear, but more like that of comfort, as if he had been here before. But with his teammates depending on his every action, he needed to stay focused.

Soon they were battling a team from the Hidden Rain Village for their scroll. It was a long battle that drained the energy out of all of them. In the end of the battle, team seven was victorious. Sasuke had bloody bruises all across his body, and Sakura came out matching Sasuke bruise for bruise with a light, yet thin cut on her shoulder to match. As Sakura was patching herself up, Naruto, having fainted out of exhaustion, was beginning to stir on the ground besides them. Out of all of them, Naruto had contributed to this battle the most, and though Sasuke may never say it, he was impressed, yet also a little insecure about the recent rapid growth in Naruto. They had agreed to let the poor boy rest while they each took turns standing guard.

"Confute…in nomine Dei…confute illac memorias…" Naruto continued to murmur these strange words, as he struggled in his sleep.

Sakura wasn't sure what to make of this, so she quickly wakes Sasuke up. Sasuke had never heard this exotic language before, and so he and Sakura leaned down to hear it better and were surprised at seeing tears flowing down from Naruto's eyes. They didn't know what to do about it, but seeing as how he was struggling so much, they thought it best to wake him up. Sasuke being the considerate person that he was looked around them for something he could use. He found a patch of mushroom found only in the Konoha, it was a delicacy because it had an immensely spicy taste blended with a garlic flavor. Our number one rookie ninja took some and forced it down Naruto's throat through basic techniques all ninjas must know to treat their comrades on the battlefield by forcing them to swallow medicine even while unconscious.

Naruto's eyes abruptly open and he sprang.

"ATSUI!!!" He shouted on the top of his lung. And after he had run circles around the area where they were resting, he noticed the chuckle that Naruto was starting to find extremely irritating. "Sasuke, temae! This is the-"

Suddenly, a wave of nausea overcame his entire body as he collapsed to his knees. He felt his body heat up and sweat collecting on his forehead. He quickly noticed a disgusting scent in his mouth. As he threw it all up from his system, he immediately recognized what it was. Because of the popularity and abundance of this species of mushroom, almost all ramen shops in the Konoha adds just a little bit to their dishes to bring out the flavor. But years of eating ramen full of this stuff had done nothing to him, he even ate a bowl with an extra amount of this mushroom for flavoring just yesterday, why was it bothering him so much now?

As he noticed the worried stare of Sakura and, he could have sworn, of Sasuke, he decided to let it go for now. '_We just got our scroll, we better hurry to the tower before some other team attacks us. I believe just lie to them about this, its probably just an upset stomach or something. Got to make a mental note to myself to get Sasuke back for that. Hey, he has never been defeated by the Harem no Jutsu, I think, we can finally find out if Sasuke really is a closet pervert at heart…hehe'_ "That was nothing don't worry about it, just an upset stomach from eating too much ramen." Naruto laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

In the face of such a stupid lie that only Uzamki Naruto can make, the two others felt at least better he was returning to his normal self, yet they made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

Sasuke was the first to get back to the business at hand. "Ok, let's make our way to the tower, if we don't get into any fights, we should be there in two hours without rest. I suggest we travel to one click from the tower and then slow down in order to-"

Out of nowhere, a giant snake appeared behind Naruto and swallowed him whole before quickly vanishing. Just as Sasuke and Sakura recovered from their initial shock, they felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand up and sensed an aura that brought up images of blood and death in their minds. As they halted in their step and turned around they noticed a pale-faced, long-haired man standing no too far away with the most wicked grin plastered on his snake-like face.

"Uchiha Sasuke I presume, you can call me Orochimaru, but you can just call me Orochi, I'm quite infamous in the village, you know" the man spoke with such a creepy voice, that it took Sakura a lot of effort just to keep herself from shuttering at its sound. "I have waited a long time to meet you, please accept this gift from me." Just then, he narrowed his dark eyes and gave out his killing intent to the two young genins.

Sasuke and Sakura froze in their step. As they were reading themselves to get out of way of whatever jutsu the dangerous looking man seemed to have been preparing for them, they had no idea what they were about to experience. Sakura had heard about this from her father, but the actual experience was nothing like what she imagined. The blood, the pain, the anger, the lust, and the urges, they were overwhelming to her senses. She would have thrown up from utter disgust if her body hadn't stopped responding to her commands.

_ 'What is happening?!? I'm not ready for this! Someone help me! SASUKE-KUN!?! NARUTO!?!' _Sakura's mind screamed.

'What the hell is this?!? This guy is on a whole another level! We gotta get outta here! I don't want to die yet! Got to get out of her! Move! DAMN IT, MOVE!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MOVE!!!' Sasuke screamed to himself.

As they saw out of the corner of their eyes, the man slithering toward them, they were running out of options. A giant snake suddenly appeared behind the man and rushed toward the two genins. Sasuke, out of desperation, used his remaining ounce of will power and stabbed himself in the leg with the kunai and hurled himself at Sakura, trying to push themselves out of the way of the snake.

But the kunai-embedded leg slowed him down dramatically and he knew they weren't going to make. And he still have not recovered enough to use any ninjutsu to save them. As they saw the snake bearing down at them at an angle, ready to crush them, they could do nothing but close their eyes and pray for something, anything to save them.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUSTU!"

As the snake's upper half exploded in a shower Narutos, Sasuke and Sakura watched this awe, feeling a sense of relief flowing within them. But their victory was cut short as two other snakes soon launched themselves at the team. With each snake going after each boy, just as Sakura was about to go help one of them, she felt a sharp pain on her shoulder blades and promptly collapsed to the ground.

'_I can't have you intervening with my plans for your beloved Sasuke-kun, but don't worry, I may have uses for you later in bringing him under my control,' _Orochimaru smirked and headed toward Sasuke.

'_This one's much faster than the last one.' _Naruto thought as he lead the snake to the trap his bunshins should be just about finished in creating. '_I need to get back soon, that idiot Sasuke didn't seem like his normal self back there.'_

_'Chikushou! Why am I still running? Have I not improved at all in these last few years?? Am I going to stay this week forever?!?'_ Sasuke screamed in his mind as he jumped free trees to trees in panic, trying to outrun the snake that he couldn't even see anymore.

Suddenly the snake sprain up in front of him, only out of instinct did he jump out of the way. In his moment of panic, he stumbled through his seals and yelled out, "Katon Karyuu Endan!" But the poorly performed jutsu turned out to have half the speed that it should have had, and ended up being dodged by the surprisingly agile snake.

Landing on an extended branch, just as he was about to yell, "TEDASUKE NI-" The snake had been stopped by an angry Naruto.

"What's wrong scaredy cat? Do you want your big brother to come and help you!" The feline-looking Naruto yelled to Sasuke. Then Sasuke suddenly noticed the tears and caked blood on Naruto's clothes. Then just as he was to retort, he saw Orochimaru launch at him and get engaged in combat with Naruto.

"That's a very special kage bunshin I created just for you, Naruto-kun, I hope it keeps you entertained." Original said above the snake's head.

Sasuke has had enough of all this patronizing and ignoring of his existence. '_I will get above this small hurdle and kill my brother, next to my goal, nothing is important. No room for failure, either I succeed or I will die.'_ He quickly threw a kunai at Orochimaru, and just as Orochimaru was about to catch it. Sasuke muttered "Kage Kunai no Justu," and several hidden kunais appeared around the original. Orochimaru didn't feel quite like using an advanced justu so he jumped off the snake's head.

At that instant, Sasuke completed a complex set of hand seals and yelled, "Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" The fiery blaze consumed the large snake, defeating it. But before he had time to recover from the large amount of charka he just exhausted, he heard, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu," nearby. Just then he spotted Orochimaru bearing down with another snake.

Deciding to attack the problem at the source, Sasuke launched a shuriken with a charka string tied to it. Yelling out "Kage Shuriken no Jutsu," he then let the shuriken bind Orochimaru to a large tree. Just as the snake was bearing down on him, he remained perfectly calm, but still fueled by the adrenaline rush from the battle that he knew was over his head, he completed another set of jutsu, and yelled "Katon Ryuuka no Jutsu," and extended the jutsu long enough to let the stream of flame reach Orochimaru, ignoring the incoming snake and bracing himself for impact.

He felt satisfied but suspicious at the burnt figure of Orochimaru as he felt some of his ribs breaking at the impact of the gigantic snake. But then as he slowly got up, he saw the figure turn into nothing but mud, and saw Orochimaru once more on the head of the snake.

"Very nice, my dear boy, but I'm afraid the time for fun and games is over," Orochimaru smirked and made a few seals with a single hand, "Kanashibari no Jutsu."

Sasuke felt himself unable to move at all, it was unlike the killing intent, because this time he couldn't even move a single finger. Orochimaru then quickly gave Sasuke his real present, the grand finale, the cursed seal. Sasuke suddenly felt a burning sensation on his neck that quickly spread to the rest of his body and promptly fainted.

As Orochimaru smiled at his little handiwork, he suddenly stiffened and felt that something was coming. Suddenly a two dozen Naruto came throwing kunais and kicking Orochimaru. Still feeling the strain from giving the seal, a single kick landed on his face.

_'Damn, this kid is annoying. Who would have thought the Kyubi's vessel is able to use some of its power, this can turn into a potential threat. Well we can fix that,_' Orochimaru did his favorite evil grin and yelled, "Chakra Kyuushuu," as he landed an open palm punch to Naruto's chest, draining much of Naruto's charka and some of the Kyubi's.

'_That was amazing. The boy's stamina is in a Chuunin level, but the Kyubi's was unbelievable. This could turn dangerous if it was to awaken.'_ So he ordered his snake to bash the now drained Naruto around a few times on the ground, breaking a number of his bones and dislocating his left arm. Then it picked the still conscious Naruto up from the ground by the neck using its tail.

As the snake suspended Naruto in mid air, Orochimaru readied a seal for Naruto that would stop him from using the Kyubi's chakra. "Goguoufuuin!" He yelled and slammed his palms onto Naruto's exposed stomach, causing Naruto to go unconscious from both the pain and the sudden changes in his body. As he was about to fling the now unconscious boy aside, he suddenly thought of something. '_If the rumors behind his childhood here in the Konoha are true, there may be a chance I make good use of him,_' Orochimaru pondered in his dark mind. _'With the Kyubi on my side, I may have a true trump card on my hand that will utterly crush the Konoha.'_ Looking at the now limp Naruto hanging in midair, the smirk he wore soon turned into a truly wicked grin. And so Orochimaru made his move, he brought Naruto close to him, revealed his neck, and then gave him the cursed seal...

* * *

Translation:

_'Ab aeterno, fuerint Agni Dei.' –'"_Since the beginning of time, we have been the Lambs of God.'__

_'Confute…in nomine Dei…confute illac memorias…'_ – 'Stop…in the name of God…stop these memories…'


	4. It Begins

First of all, **please read these notes I write, **I will try and answer as much questions and concerns as I can. Second, sorry for the long delay, I've been really busy with work and preparing for college. Third, thank you for all your reviews. Finally, can anyone help me make a better synopsis for this story (after reading this chapter), I can't think of a really good one.

Now, I'm gonna try a different approach to answering your reviews. Here I go, in order from least to greatest concerns:

**6. What language was I using in that last chapter?**

I can see now that latin is a dead language these days when one of you actually thought it was German. So just for the record, its latin, you know, the language of Julius Caesar (with the "Et tu Brutus"), Cicero, and etc. You hear it a lot in movies about God, the apolyocapse, and other divine things, so I thought this story would be a good place to put them in. I will try to incorporate this more and more as I move along. On a side note, I will try to use Japanese when I can, especially in jutsus.

**5. Why does the grammar seem a lil _weird_?**

Ok, so I don't have a really good grammar, especially since I tend to do run on sentences. I know how to do semi-colons and commas and all, but its sort of time consuming to distinguish them. I need to write down my story quickly because my ideas come and go. Now I'll try to keep grammar correct on everything except these author notes, dialogue, and monologue. One thing I do know I need work on is dialogue, my pace slows down whenever I need them to talk, so some tips in your reviews or an email would be nice.

**4. Why were the last three chapters a lil short?**

Yes, I do know the first three chapters were a lil short, but I hope you all read the notes, because I was implying that up until now, all three chapters could be an extended prologue. Because until Orochimaru gave Naruto the cursed seal, the story was suppose to be close to the original. I was implying that if he did not give the cursed seal, the original story could have come back. So think of the cursed seal as the catalyst for everything. I tried to keep it all brief for that reason, since I didn't wanna bore you guys with a repetition and I wanted to get back to my version of the story quickly.

**3. How is Naruto gonna be affected by the cursed seal?**

Well, like I just said, it will be a catalyst. I don't wanna spoil anything, but I just suggest you do NOT focus on the seal all that much. If it was about the seal, I would have named the story, "Cursed Seal" not "Cursed Blood."

**2. What type of vampire will Naruto be?**

This really is directed at someone would really seemed to want to know. Well, I wanted this to be sort of an AU story, and incorporate many of the classic things about an vampire with an modern/Naruto twist. Obviously, he will be blood sucking, I already used Chakra Leeching in the last chapter, so I can simply extend that and give it to anyone. As for some of your other ideas, they are indeed very interesting and I've actually been thinking along the same lines as you for quite a bit of them, but for your sake, I won' tell ya. Now here's the thing, I again don't wanna spoil anything, so….I can't say anything, cause the least bit may spoil, but I'm sure you will enjoy how this story will play out.

**1. How are the pairings gonna be?**

Sigh This pairing thing is starting to give me a headache, lol. Let me start by saying Hinata is definitely in, now here are the other candidates and pluses for minuses for each.

_Anko:_ She is original, knows a lot more about life than Naruto, also has the cursed seal (as in she has been to great pains, which conveniently hasn't been revealed yet), and may be able to sympathize with Naruto on a whole new level. She is also a jounin, has a very Naruto-like character, and is the exact opposite of Hinata to some extent.

I understand some of you are against an older woman, but it may actually help, since vampires aren't exactly known to be the most moralistic race of all times. The idea of the forbidden (not that much anyways) relationship can be helpful. And besides, she doesn't have to be that old, I was thinking she'd be in her mid-20's.

_Ino:_ She is pretty, is unknown, and lacks a relationship with any other male characters enough. I could definitely use her childhood attraction to Sasuke to an extent, and the 180 turn would be good.

Now my main problem with her is her relatively unknown status. The basic two parts known about her is that her two parents are still alive, she likes Sasuke, and has a friendship with Sakura. This relatively light past isn't a good environment for someone that's gonna be involved with a vampire. I can add some stuff to her past, but I'm trying not to disturb the original story up to the last chapter as much as possible.

_Sakura:_ I do like how she has been maturing rapidly up till now and the things I can do with the help of Inner Sakura. But the apparent problem with her is, again, her lack of any trauma or anything. I mean her greatest misery seems to be her big forehead. But because her apparent kindness has been showing more and more up to now in the original story, I could shift it toward Naruto. So between her and Ino, I think I can make better use of her.

_TenTen_: Same thing I said about Ino applies to her. Her personality makes her a bad choice. I've read some of those rare NaruTen ficcies, and I could the that the same problem applied to those.

So here's the bottom line, as of right now, I still plan on doing an AnkoNaruHina story. Now this doesn't mean some of the other girls can't have a small relationship with him either, or that Anko and Naruto will definitely have a really intimate relationship, meaning that the details are still up in the air. As for other pairings, the only one I can do may be Sasuke and someone, either Ino or Sakura, but I don't wanna focus on that much.

I think that I've answered as much questions and concerns as I could have without spoiling anything. So let's continue with the story.

Disclaimer: If you are a lawyer, whose job is to read through fanfics looking for ones without disclaimers, I pity you from the bottom of my heart. Nonetheless, I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Here's the formatting that's going to be used for this chapter:

"Blah" – Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah"_– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking

* * *

_  
  
It Begins_

**_Absque nunc sumus advocati diaboli._**

_ 'Darkness. The darkness I've known all my life. Isolation. Fear. Hatred. Resentment. Is that all my life ever will be?'_

"_Excite._"

Naruto blinked his eyes and woke up to the sound of a strange voice. _'Its calm and serene. Yet it has a hint of coldness and…'_

It was then he finally noticed that his whole body was lying in cold water. He then got into an upright position and looked around. It was a dark tunnel, with a light source that can't be seen.

"Where the hell am I?" Naruto wondered out loud as he found the strength to stand up.

"_hic et nunc._"

"What the…" Naruto had thought the voice was only a dream. _'Maybe this is still a dream.'_ So he pinched his cheeks.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed. _'So that wasn't such a good idea. But that voice…'_

Suddenly a clashing noise could be heard to his left. Naruto turned around only to find the way blocked by a circular crest or seal that looks a lot like Sasuke's Sharingan. He walked even closer and noticed the water became pitch black. As he got next to the object, he could hear something resembling a battle, but without any sound of metal or shouting. And as soon as it had begun, the sounds faded away.

_"Accede."_

_'There is that voice again. That same deep, sorrowful voice. That beautiful whisper. It makes the heart tremble and the soul relaxed. It's a voice that I feel I've heard before. Maybe in another lifetime.'_ Naruto thought as he turned right and saw in the distance an opening in the tunnel. It had a blue color.

"Who are you?" Naruto shouted. Slowly beginning to walk toward the opening.

_"Sum scelum."_

"I don't understand what you're saying! Where am I?" Naruto shouted once again. As he got closer to the opening, he noticed a hint of red beginning to swirl with the blue, as if in battle with one another.

_"Via dolorosa."_

"Stop talking like that! What is this place?" Naruto shouted in frustration. Now the red is beginning to overwhelm the blue. In the midst of the struggle, Naruto also noticed that the water has become a darkish red, and the water level had risen to his knee.

_"Nostrem carcerem."_

"I don't understand! What are you saying? Why am I here?" Naruto was beginning to lose his temper. The water had risen to his thighs now, and just as he noticed that all traces of blue had disappeared, the smell came. He was no stranger to the smell. No ninja will ever be. It was blood. That thick, metallic taste. "What the hell is this?!?"

_"Mens rea."_

The stench that made him want to throw up had disappeared, instead, in its wake, left a feeling deep in him. It was hard to describe. It was a feeling of nostalgia. Naruto closed his eyes and relished in the smell around him. '_This must be what catnip is like to cats._' Naruto thought in the recesses of his mind that was still free to think.

Then all at once, he noticed that the smell was gone again. And in him, it left a hungering. For what, he did not know. But it was strong, much stronger than his hunger for ramen. He opened his eyes only to find that he had just left the tunnel, and was now surrounded by a space of different varieties of red.

_"I see the blood is still part of you."_ As the voice spoke, the swirling red colors pulsated to every tone and syllable.

"Hey, I-I can understand you now." Naruto exclaimed. Suddenly his head hurt, all these things happening to him was giving him a headache.

_"I wish you didn't."_ The voice sighed and the red colors paled as if in agreement.

"What do you mean? But first, where am I? And who are you?" Naruto managed to say as his headache got worse. The pain on his temple was starting to make his thought process difficult.

_"Who I am is not important. We shall meet again, but until then I have a single advice for you; **you are not who you think you are**. Ignosce mihi, my lost lamb."_

Naruto suddenly felt an unbearable pain on his back. It felt like someone was ripping his back muscles off. After what seemed like an eternity, the pain stopped and before he had a chance to exam his wound, he noticed something was wrong. The space soon began to tremble and Naruto soon noticed the water coming back. Then he noticed blue returning to the space and soon the space was swirling with blue instead.

"Wait! Don't go! What is this? What have you done to me?!?" Naruto shouted as he finally saw that the water was blood, and instead of a river, it was now an entire sea of it. A thick sea of blood as far as the eyes cans sea; the texture battled against the serene color of blue. It was as if he was between heaven and hell.

Suddenly, the disgusting stench came back and before Naruto even had time to shout for help; the water level had risen above his mouth, over his head. He tried to swim upward, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get to the surface. He soon felt himself low on air, yet no matter how hard he struggled, there was no end to the sea of blood. As he began to lose consciousness, he heard the distant sound of battle.

* * *

"STOP!!!"

Naruto heard that shout in the distance. _'Huh? Was that Sakura?'_ Naruto thought as he began to start the processing of waking himself. As he went to rub his eyes, a sudden pain in his temple made him remember, _'Was that all a dream?'_

He could hear words in the distance. There was Sakura, Sasuke, and someone he didn't know speaking. The headache was still making it hard for him to think of anything.

Suddenly there was a pain on one of his legs. "THAT HURTS!" Naruto shouted and opened his eyes to find Ino had accidentally stepped over him. Nearby, Shikamaru and Chouji noticed the loud-mouthed ninja.

Just as Ino began to say, "Naruto, where have you been all this-" She and the others nearby froze when they saw Naruto's eyes. It wasn't a gentle blue anymore; instead it was a dark, menacing red.

Naruto didn't even notice the gaping jaws of the three as his headache was really making it hard for him to do anything. Then suddenly as fast as it came, it resided. As the three watched Naruto blink, suddenly the reddish orbs were gone, and the gentle, innocent blue was back. _'Was I hallucinating just now?'_ They all thought together.

Naruto, glad that the headache was gone, was going to shout once more when he noticed the confused look on the three genins in front of him. "What's wrong minna?" Naruto asked nervously at the gaping stares from the three.

The other genins in the area soon took their eyes off Sasuke and unto Naruto, curious at the looks of utter confusion on the three genins near him. As they approached, Naruto began to stand up.

"Hey, stop looking so scared, its creeping m-" Naruto stopped in mid-sentence as a crushing pain suddenly appeared on his back. Then he remembered his dream and quickly removed his jacket and shirt. The other genins were now around him, including Sasuke and Sakura. There was not a sound in the air; no word could describe the sight that lay in front of them. On Naruto's back, along his spinal cord, was a hideous, long scar, still madly pouring out blood.

* * *

Translation:

_'Absque nunc sumus advocati diaboli.'_ – 'But now we are the advocates of the devil.'

_'Excite.'_ – 'Rise.'

'_Accede.'_ – 'Come.'

_'Sum scelum.'_ – 'I am a sin.'

_'Via dolorosa.'_ – 'The way of sorrow.'

_'Nostrem carcerem.'_ – 'Our prison.'

_'Mens rea.'_ – 'A guilty mind.'

_'Ignosce mihi.' – _'Forgive me.''


	5. Encounters

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Thank you for all your reviews. Even criticism is very encouraging. Now I liked how I answered questions like in the last chapter, so I'll continue to do that. **Please read these comments, they are for your benefit. **Now while I was writing these, I've been listening to L'ArcEnCiel. Soon as the other themes sets in, it will switch to music like Dido's White Flag and Yami no Matsuei's opening song. I'll try to update more often, I finally got a pretty good lock on the story, the only thing I'm still having trouble doing is the pairing, I'm obviously new to writing romance, any suggestions would be nice.

**1. Why is Naruto being paired with Anko?**

Don't worry; it won't be a weird and creepy onee-sama sort of thing. She is not going to be that old, I picture her in her early 20s, I'll explain why later. Trust me, after some adjustments, they will all fit pretty. And besides, I can work very well with her, you'll see why in this chapter. Further suggestions on her, like her past or her relationship with Naruto, would be much appreciated, email me if you want to keep it a secret.

Also remember just because it's a pairing doesn't mean they have to be so intimate in that way. It's something I can play around with, but I definitely want them to have a very deep relationship, how deep I'll have to play it out. It's a very original pairing isn't it?

**2. Why did I put a question mark on the second girl? Could there be a third?!?**

Well, I first did think of putting Hinata up, but now I think I will go with another approach. I will try to write a few chapters ahead and experiment with every one of the girls and see just who I can use. _I will announce the winner in my next chapter._ So you can try and influence before then, it's your last chance, unless you choose this suggestion.

Furthermore, I'm thinking, maybe I can add another girl. At first the idea struck me as making the story a lil, I dunno….sleazy? But then I thought about it, and I read some stuff about vampires having three girls usually. So maybe I can do that. So, give me some of your opinions and suggestions on that. Besides, if I do that, I can just rule out one of the three candidates, a lot easier to do than just rule out one. Actually, I'm just picturing this, think of a Naruto surrounded by three girls, in a poster style way, besides Anko, what other two will fit will in the picture? I'm picturing Ino and Sakura, with their long hairs, and the duo can provide some comic relief. Which reminds me, can someone tell me Anko's hair and eye color? And also Sakura and Ino's eye color? Thank you!

**3. Any other pairings?**

Hmmm, maybe if I get the chance and time. But I wouldn't hold my breath for it, since I think it may disrupt the flow of the story a bit. Besides, it'll have to wait until I decide the third pairing. And even if there is a pairing, it will probably only be Sasuke and one of the girls. Don't dwell on this much.

**4. What is exactly is that scar Naruto got?**

Well, I can't elaborate on what it actually is without spilling the story, but I can say what it looks like. It's a vertical scar starting from the base of his neck and goes along his spinal column for about a feet. It looks like it was done by a deep katana slash across the flesh. No matter how much time passes, it will show no sign of the blood or flesh forming a crust, instead they will simply dull away and dry off.

**5. What will happen next? What type of vampire is Naruto? Who was the voice? Etc. Etc.**

I'm glad you are all so curious, and I want to build that curiosity even more. In the meantime, maybe you should watch some of those vampire films, like Van Helsing and Interview with the Vampire. I won't be using their information, well cause I haven't watched them yet, but I think they will help you visualize and imagine some stuff, even if they are completely off course from my story. So really all you can do is read and wait.

**7. Last chapter was still short!**

Sorry, sorry, but I saw a nice chance to end the chapter there when they found the scar. I'm really not doing this out of spit, it really just depends on the rhythm of the story. I'll try to make it longer in this story. What can I say? I like to do cliff hangers. But this chapter is plenty long.

**8. Why have they already gotten the scroll?**

Well, I could have made it follow the actually story more, but I felt it would be too boring to even skim through if I did that, so I just made small adjustments, here and there, you'll see more of it in this chapter..

Ok ok, I'll be truthful, I actually forgot they got the scroll afterwards, but I can make it work like this. We'll just have to see won't we.

**9. Will I use more latin?**

Yes. I was forced to learn it for FIVE whole years, and dammit if I'm not going to find a use for them. But who knew I'd use it for fanfiction. I'll be using it more for speech. Now as for translation, I really thing sometimes you can know just by reading the passage, since a lot of English words are derived from latin. But for the sake of making it more interesting, **please refrain from reading the translation until you've read the entire chapter, and try to decipher the stuff using your knowledge of English if you can as you read.**

Disclaimer: Sigh As per traditional, I'll continue this: I don't own Naruto. I'll even say it in latin: _Habeo ne Naruto._

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_

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Even more complex formatting now:

"Blah" – Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah" _– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking  
**"Blah" – **Mystery Person B Talking  
**'Blah' – **Mystery Person B Thinking

Note: There are two types of thinking, and its all situational. If we are in Naruto's mind, thinking would be private thoughts, but, in the real world, thinking would be talking mentally.__

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_

_Encounters_

**_Eratne fortuna contra nobes ab initio?_**

_'Damn! That snake bastard actually dares to show his face here again! I will kill him; I swear my life on it!'_ A female jounin screamed in her mind as she jumped from tree to tree in pure rage. If it wasn't for a lifetime of training, she would have slipped somewhere along the line and crashed her head by now.

Matarashi Anko had just received reports of corpses with their faces melted off from chunnins earlier, and upon investigating, she was suddenly reminded of a past that she thought she was finally beginning to forget.

As soon as she had sent a report of her discovery to the Hokage through one of the chunnins, she was on her way. Time and distance were irrelevant to her as she speeded through the woods, only that nightmarish past mattered.

Instinctively, she reached up and touched her cursed seal. The memories it sparked in her brought only pain and fury to her heart. Before the memories could flash back, she could hear sounds of fighting in the distance. As she got closer, she had noticed the fighting had stopped and found a shadow quickly moving away.

"No matter the place, time, or dimension, I will always recognize your sickening aura." Anko sneered out and quickly began her pursuit.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, Matarashi Anko has reported she believes the infamous missing-nin Orochimaru is in the Forest of Death." A Chunnin reported to the Hokage in the tower, situated in the middle of the forest.

"Where is she now? Let me have a word with her." The Hokage demanded.

"Well…the thing is, sir, soon after she had dispatched me to relay the information to you, she entered the forest in pursuit of him, I believe." The Chunnin replied nervously.

"Fool!" The Hokage shouted in anger at the recklessness of his subordinate. "Quickly go and send three ANBU teams to bring her back!"

"Y-Yes sir!" The Chunnin disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

_'I hope you don't do anything stupid, my dear.'_ The Hokage sighed, suddenly feeling a bit old. _'I hope you come back soon Jiraiya, there are dark clouds ahead.'_

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* * *

_

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In the shadows of the forest, a lone figure can be seen limping through the grounds. She had rips and cuts on her body and her youthful face. But her physical condition was lost on her, as the only two things on her mind were the pain on her neck and the man who caused it all.

_'Damn it! Goddamn it! Am I still so weak? How many more lives will be wasted because of this weakness?!? Has all these years and nightmares been for naught?'_ Anko screamed her frustrations in her mind.

It took awhile before she finally calmed down and smelled the scent of blood and lots of it coming from the east. Momentarily leaving her thoughts behind, she ventured to see what was wrong.

* * *

"Naruto, what happened to your back?!?" Sakura was the first one to speak up; the others soon were able to break off from the sight of the wound. Some could feel their breakfasts trying to make a backward march from their stomaches. Even Sasuke forgot about the earlier incident and was engrossed at the sight.

Up in a tree, far out of sight and undetected by any of the genins, Anko was making her own observations. She had just arrived after Naruto had woken up and is now trying to find out what happened here. _'That is a very nasty looking wound the loud mouth got there. I wonder what happened…'_ Anko's eyes wandered around the group of genins. _'So that's the last of the Uchiha, a pretty boy, huh? Why's he holding his neck like that? I wonder if he got injured or-'_ Then it clicked.

Flashback

Orochimaru was enjoying the fight he was having with his former student, Matarashi Anko.

"Looks like you have gotten stronger, my dear, but it's a shame you prefer the traditional method when you have that seal I so painstakingly placed on you. Well, it has been fun playing with you, but I really must dash. After all, I do need to prepare for my two new toys. Just make sure you tell the old man to not cancel the examination under any condition if he knows what's good for him and the village" The snake slurred out before quickly performing a justu and yellowing out, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

Anko was ready to fight the gigantic snake Orochimaru had placed in between them, but then the worst happened. Her seal started to activate again, and as she tried with all her willpower to stop it, she was powerless against the snake.

Only thanks to her advanced taijutsu was she able to come out in one piece without using any chakra. She then hurried to find Orochimaru, but he was long gone. His last few words were lost on her as she began to lose herself to her frustrations.

Back to Present

Until now that is. _'So that snake bastard gave the seal to the Uchiha kid. This is going to create troubles ahead, but I can't help but feel I forgot something. First thing's first, I need to report this to the Hokage immediately, I wonder if he will stop the exam.'_ The jounin pondered, not thinking well in her exhausted state.

Sasuke was trying to hide his seal with his left hand. He didn't know what it was but he thought it was better to leave it unknown for now. He was already pretty shaken from the flashback of his past, then his earlier incident with the sound-nins, and now with Naruto in this state, he decided it was better to not complicate this whole thing further.

As Anko got ready to jump away, she got one good look at Naruto's back. That was when her eyes came immediately back. _'Oh kami-sama, you must be kidding me! That boy also has the seal as well?!? This is going to complicate things more than anything else. Hokage-sama is going to be concerned with the effect it will have with the Kyubi's seal…'_

She suddenly felt the presence of several men around her. "Matarashi Anko, the Hokage-sama wishes to have a word with you." One of the ANBU members whispered to her.

Sighing softly, Anko can't say she was surprised at this, with her history with Orochimaru and all. "Ok, I can go there by myself. In the meantime, I want you guys to search out the forest for traces of Orochimaru and, if possible, keep an eye on the Uchiha and boy other there with the wound on his back." She pointed over to the group.

"You mean the Kyubi?" One of them said dryly.

"Yes, and if you don't want me to report you to the Hokage-sama, you should do yourself a favor and stop referring to him like that." Anko hissed out, angered by the stupidity in some people. "Now I leave you to your assignment."

After she left, one of the ANBU asked, "What's wrong with her?"

A more senior member replied, "I guess it has something to do with her history with Orochimaru."

"What happened?"

"Well, I don't know the details, but I heard Orochimaru took someone precious to her away. But enough of this, let's start our sweep. I'll take Sector 1A though 6A, you take…"

* * *

"Ok, we are going to go off and continue to look for our missing scrolls, are you guys sure your going to be alright?" Rock Lee shouted for the last time, as he walked towards his team.

"Yeah, we're sure, Lee-san. Thanks for all your help." Sakura shouted back happily.

Lee began to get teary after hearing this and only left because his teammates had to physically drag him away, while he was busy blowing kisses to Sakura.

The group took a moment to get their things together. Sakura found some soldier pills her parents had given her for safe measures, and she gave one to each boy and popped one into her own mouth. Feeling energized, she noticed, how the roughly bandaged wound on Naruto's back was already getting soaked once more. "So what's the plan guys?"

"Well we have 25 hours left, and judging from our surroundings I say we are now farther away than before, but not by much. We should just try to get there as soon as possible. All of us are very beaten up, even the soldier pill didn't help my exhaustion like I thought it would have, and let's not forget Naruto's back."

This caused Sakura to grimace, just at the thought of Naruto's gaping wound. Naruto had been unusually quiet since we woke up, and this was disturbing to say the least. Since as much as he got in the way between her and Sasuke-kun's because of his loudness, she must relent and admit that she was getting used to it. And now looking at him looking so quiet, it's just too unnerving.

"Ok, so let's just try to make it to the tower as soon as-"

"AHHH! Sakura-chan, your hair got shorter!" Naruto shouted out of nowhere.

The stunned teammates soon recovered from their facefaults, and as one of them began berating Naruto on his lack of sensibility, the other merely shook his head and uttered, "Idiot," under his breath. But both genins actually sighed out of relief under their breath, thankful that Naruto was apparently back to normal.

Then a voice came out from behind them, "You're the same as ever Naruto-kun."

It was Kabuto, the genin who has tried to take the exam over half a dozen times and still managed to fail each time. When he suggested he come along and help the three, Sasuke obviously was suspicious of him enough to refuse, while Naruto and Sakura, being the naïve ones, were ready to befriend the stranger. Sasuke, in the end, had no choice but to relent, making a mental note to keep watch of the guy at all times.

As they agreed to travel at a slow pace to both avoid dangerous traps and to conserve their strengths, Naruto used the time to go back to his dream.

_'It was a strange dream. I can't remember all of it, but I do remember the darkness, the red color, the smell of something, and a voice. It was a smell I've known before, the same goes for the voice, as if from another lifetime…'_ Naruto's mind drifted on as he walked. He suddenly started feel his back beginning to hurt again.

When Sakura turned and looked at Naruto's back, hoping the wound had stopped, but instead she found it was pouring out more than ever. She was reallying beginning to worry about blood loss.

_'Hmmm, what is that wound? I wonder if he gave it to Naruto-kun, but it doesn't seem like his handiwork. He usually prefers to just kill.'_ Kabuto pondered.

"Hey Naruto-kun, what happened to your back? It looks serious." He ventured, hoping for some answers.

_'He sure is a curious one isn't he?'_ Sasuke smirked mentally.

"Oh, it was from the battle with some Sand-nins, probably nothing to worry about, I get wounds like that all the time." Naruto replied as cheerfully as he could.

_'A lie, huh? I was watching the fight, you were asleep the whole time. Well, better not press and issue and blow my cover.'_

"Well, if you say so-" Kabuto was cut short by the sound of a kunai flying in midair. They found themselves in an unusually dark part of the forest, surrounded by vines and the sound of arrogant laughter.

* * *

Iruka shouted in protest, "Why are you going in my place?"

"Well, it's not like I want to go, my plan for the evening was a quite night at home, reading a book by the fireplace," Kakashi said in his defense, but he couldn't help let some of his face color at the thought of the book he was planning to read for the night. _'I was really looking forward to the new volume.'_

Iruka gave up, "Fine, but please do me a favor and give me regard to the team, especially Naruto."

"Sure thing," Kakashi answered and left; it was getting to hard to control his giggling.

* * *

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted for what seemed like the millionth time.

The fight had been going on for hours, and the four genins were quickly losing their stamina. The style of fighting their enemies have taken was irritating to say the least, though they all thought it was cowardly, they also knew that in battle, the end justifies the means.

Sasuke was the calmest in his team, and even he was getting impatient. As he watched a group of Naruto attack another swarm of the fake ninjas, he got an idea in his head. He needed someone's help, and since Naruto was tied up and Sakura was too tired to do it, he had to turn to Kabuto for help.

After giving him his plan, they set it in action. As Naruto prepared another group of clones, Kabuto joined him with the extra scroll the team had gotten from the sound-nins in his pant leg. As they battled, Sasuke tried to suppress the sharp pains in his neck and activated his Sharingan.

As Kabuto had just sliced through another fake clone, a dagger came out of the ground. That was when Sasuke launched himself at the appearing enemy. Though he came with a killing intent, he couldn't hold his concentration anymore and only managed to embed a single kunai on the ninja's hand, drawing out a trail of blood.

Naruto was getting tired from all this use of his chakra. He was beginning to feel dizzy and wobbly but continued his fighting. As a familiar headache returned to his head and a familiar ache returned to his back, he began to notice a scent in the air. It didn't take him a second to think before he recognized it as blood. '_When did blood began to seem so distinct in smell? I know it's not mine or any of my teams. So that means it must be those ninja's._'

He was getting quite desperate and he ignored the fact that he didn't understand what was going on as he formulated his plan. So as he made his next group of clones, he sent one to relay his plan to the others.

It didn't take long before the enemy team, so engrossed with the fight was surrounded by the actual team. As Naruto dispelled the clones of his teammates and seated himself next to one of the now unconscious ninjas, he couldn't help but notice the looks coming from his teammates.

"I don't really who how I found them, must have been pure luck." Naruto replied in a white lie.

Though Sakura bought this, the other two weren't that easily misled. But they knew they needed to get to the tower, so they chose to accept the lie for now.

An hour later, they were finally at the tower. The team bid farewell to Kabuto and proceeded in. They had read the inscription and decided to unwrap the two scrolls.

"Naruto! Sakura! Throw away the scrolls, it's a summoning!" Sasuke yelled to them.

Immediately after they threw the scrolls a few meters away, they were surrounded by a cloud of smoke and a quick popping sound.

"Yoh!" It was Kakashi in his normal morning greeting. "Great job, guys. I was planning to tease you by saying you have to fight with me, but today, I'm a little busy. You see my girlfriend wants to have dinner with me-"

"Liar!" Sakura and Naruto yelled in unison, while Sasuke just rolled his eyes ever so slightly.

"Ahemm!" Sasuke coughed, getting back to the important matters. "So why don't you guys go to lounge area, the second part of the exam is about to be over. Rest up and come with the other teams to the arena later. Gotta go." He made a quick seal and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind three teens shaking their head at their fortune to be paired with such a teacher.

* * *

"The recent events are disturbing to say the least," the Hokage announced in a meeting with many of the village's senior jounins. There was not a hint of amusement on any of their faces, even the normally laid back Kakashi had a serious frown on his eyes. "Matarashi Anko, give us your report."

"We can definitely be sure that Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto have been endowed with the cursed seal by Orochimaru. Kakashi has just had visual confirmation of that. We still can't determine which specific seals he put on each of them, but it really doesn't matter for now. We can guess that he might be trying to make use of them somehow." Anko reported in a calm, assertive manner.

"Shouldn't we stop the exam and impose martial law?" One of the jounins asked.

"No, Orochimaru must be up to something, and if we stop the exam now it may cause him to react in a rash manner and that would be the last thing that we need right now, amid this confusion." The Hokage replied, not having too much confidence in his decision but not allowing that to be shown. "Besides, you all should know how important this particular exam is, especially with the shaky grounds we are in with some of the countries, lords, and villages, especially the sand. It could be taken as a sign of weakness and incite our enemies to rise and join up against us."

"So what are we going to do?" Another one asked.

"I have already ordered the activation of all ANBU teams. We will boost up our information gathering division and our own defenses. As for the two boys, we need to do something about the seals…" The Hokage pondered out loud.

"I believe I can do something for one of them, but I do not believe my body can handle trying to perform that seal two times." Kakashi answered.

"Fine, you will do it for Sasuke, now as for Naruto, I would probably have to do it unless there are any other takers." The Hokage eyed each jounin, some had passive faces, while others tried to not make eye contact.

As the Hokage sighed at the sight before him, he was about to give up when Anko spoke up. "I believe I can do something for the loud mouth, if you will permit me."

The Hokage looked over Anko's serious face and decided to let her give it a try. "Permission granted, you two are administer a quick seal for now and are to watch over the preliminary exam, and as soon as their tests have been administered, you will take them to a ANBU guarded room and perform the the final sealing. You are to stop the exam at anytime the seal begins to activate. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," the two jounins answered.

"Ok, you are all dismissed. The preliminary will start in a few hours, I suggest you all prepare for that and whatever lies ahead in our future." The Hokage said and left the room, followed by two ANBUs, who were waved away by him as he began to smoke his pipe.

_'To think not only Sasuke, but Naruto, too. What are you planning Orochimaru?'_

* * *

"…if there is anyone who wishes to give up, now is the time." The Hokage looked around for those thinking about quiting.

As the rest of team seven watched Kabuto raise his hand and walk away, Sakura's mind was elsewhere. She was deeply concerned for not only Sasuke but Naruto as well. She was torn between raising her hands and keeping quiet.

Soon after going into the lounge area, each of the genin had pulled her aside and sworn her to secrecy about the seal. But right now, standing behind Naruto, her mind was really beginning to waver.

After the fight, the scar had stopped bleeding and seemed to be just fine. Naruto had made her promise to not report the scar to any official nor talk to anyone about the seal. It was a strange sight for her to see Naruto so serious; the last time was during the mission at the wave country. For some reason, she just couldn't find it in herself to say no.

Now, however, her right arm was rising on its own accord. But before she could do anything, she felt a hand pull it down: it was Naruto's hand. He leaned close to her ear and whispered some words for her ears alone to hear. Then he simply let go and turned around, leaving a slightly stunned Sakura without any more will left in her to raise her arms.

"Ok, that should be all of them," the Hokage summed up as no more hands were raised. "We shall now take a short 15 minute break for us to heal any of your injuries while we get the arena ready. Dismissed."

As the genins disbanded into their own little groups, team seven saw their sensei walking toward them.

"Hey guys, I need to take Sasuke away for some treatment. I'll be right back." Before Naruto could protest, they both puffed away in a thin air of smoke.

Naruto was about ready to fume at the special attention Sasuke was receiving when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and found himself unintentionally staring at the female examiner's _well endowed _body. Trying to shake off his blush, Naruto coughed slightly, trying to avoid eye contact, and asked, "Who are you?"

"_Who am I?_ I have never been so insulted before. How can you not know about the kunoichi who is just as well known for her beauty as her skills? Remember this and remember it well, I am the prize of the Konoha, Matarashi Anko." The examiner finally finished her introduction,

Naruto and Sakura simply facefaulted at the girl. _'Why do the weird ones always come to me? Is there anymore perverts or weirdos that are going to show up in my future?'_ Naruto sighed and decided to ask, "What do want with me?"

"Naruto, I need to heal your wounds before the preliminary so come with me for a second." And before and sounds of protest could come out, they also disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a shocked and irritated Sakura feeling alone.

* * *

In a room somewhere in the tower, the pair was having hard time getting used to one another.

Naruto was still depressed over his fortune and the fact they found out about the seal and the scar. "What are you getting depressed for? You have me, the beautiful Anko here to accompany you, what can be better?" Anko countered as she finished lighting a few candles in a small circle.

Naruto was about to counter when he was reminded of his blush earlier and decided to keep quiet. "Ok, now remove your jacket and bandage, then come stand here in the circle." Anko told him, glad to have made an impact on him.

Naruto was feeling unusually shy around the jounin, and he didn't know why. For one thing, he never had talked with a girl older than him without being cursed at, except at the ramen place. So he took off his jacket and unwrapped his bandage, then got in the circle, facing away from the jounin.

Anko found it amusing the reaction she was getting from the blonde boy and decided to tease him a little. She put her hands on his shoulders, leaned forward, and whispered in his left ear, "relaaaax."

She could sense the tensing of the kid's muscles and really did want to tease him some more, but looking at his wound, she was reminded of the seriousness of the matter at hand.

She then began to make a completed set of seals and made a one-handed seal on her left hand. When she finally got it ready, she pressed it ontop of the cursed seal. Immediately the candles in the circle flickered as chakra leaked into the room, as the cursed seal began to fade in and out of the skin. Then as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The cursed seal had finally faded out.

Anko let out a breath of relief that she didn't realize she was holding and patted the kid's shoulder, "You are all set, kid." But when she got no reaction, she turned her face back to him just in time to see him drop to the group and the scar on his back beginning to glow a faint bright color.

She ran to him, dropping to her knees and began shaking him. "Naruto. Hey Naruto! Naruto! Can you hear me? NARUTO!"

Naruto woke up. Not to shakings or a well-lit room but into a dark, damp tunnel; the same tunnel that was in his previous dream. Before he could think of anything, he heard it.

**"Hey brat."**

It was a different voice this time…

* * *

Translation:

_'Eratne fortuna contra nobes ab initio?_' – 'Was fate against us since the beginning?'


	6. Reflections

I hoped you liked the last chapter, and here we go with another one. I've picked out the second girl, you'll find out in a second. If anyone can help me edit the synopsis a little that would be great. Also, didn't allow you to put three genres fro each story, why can I only do two now? Does supernatural/drama sum it up well? Or does supernatural/angst?

**Oh, I won't say that reviews help me write faster, _though I have been updating more since more reviews came in..lol._, what I will say is that reviews definitely encourage me to think more about the story and will make the plot better.** So please review and try to keep it meaningful, flamers are welcomed, but its really pointless to point out my grammar, since I can't seem to change it no matter what I do, but on the style of writing and dialogue, its all ok. Pros and cons, suggestions, comments, etc; it's all good.

On a side note, does anyone think I'm going too fast or too slow? I admit the first few chapters may feel a lil fast to some people, but I really wanted to start writing out my ideas soon. Trust me I have a lot, I'm planning to extend this story to the Jounin exam! So I need to pace it well, both the developments and the relationships. Anyways, just tell me how you think of the speed of the story. Also, does anyone think I'm giving out too much hint? I'm starting to feel that way.

**1. So who have you decided to be the second girl?**

Runner up is Hyuuga Hinata. As much as I had some ideas and materials for her, it felt uncomfortable for me to made her so OOC. I could have been done but I felt I would have to really go out of my way and risk endangering the main plot of the story.

Now the reason why I didn't pick some of the other girls, I'll try to be brief with each. Ino has the style and gracefulness to fit in, but I also felt I had to go out of my way a little. Her character is very underdeveloped in the original, so I would had to work on constructing one for her, and I really wanted to focus things on Naruto. As for TenTen, I would go for the same thing. Temari has a tom boy attitude, which Anko already sort of has, so I wanted someone a little different for the second girl. Kurenai and Tsunade are way too old, the former I can only pass her off as in her 30s and Tsunade, I'd be lucky if I can do 50s. See the main thing I'm looking for is diversion, how the awakening of Naruto's blood made the story diverges from the original story and character personas.

And so, without further ado, the winner is...Haruno Sakura. At first, I didn't think I can use her much, but then as I played around some ideas, I thought she would fit in very well. Her recent level of maturing, her kind side, her short temper, Inner Sakura, and her potentials made her the best choice.

I'm sorry for those who was rallying toward the other girls, but just because I chose Sakura doesn't mean the other girls don't get an appearance or any impact on the plot. In fact, I have thought of a few situations when secondary pairings, or at least hints of them, could come out. Maybe KakaKurenai, InoSasu, NejiTenTen, or HinaKiba. But again, only if it doesn't get in the way of the main plot.

Thanks to all the people who have been giving me suggestions and info. A special thanks to CB for his email to me on the info on the girls and the relationships, I'll take up on your offer for help in the later chapters when stuff really gets complicated for me to sort them out easily.

Btw, for sam, you really shouldn't write your email on the reviews, spammers has bots roaming all over the internet looking for email addresses, so instead you should do something like (remove 'NOSPAM')"

**2. What about a third girl?**

Well, the idea is still up in the air. I'm going to go on with the story with the first two, and if I see a chance for a third one to enter, I'll put it in but I won't go out of my way to make that opportunity happen.

**3. Is Naruto really a vampire? Why hasn't he bitten anyone and can still walk in the sun?**

Hmmm, I really don't want to say much, but I'll just recommend you all to just give it some time. All things will be revealed...eventually.

**4. That last chapter was so much longer than the previous ones, are you going to continue like this?**

I'm really just going to write the length depending on when I spot a good place to end a chapter, so it really will vary quite bit. But I promise I will try to keep it long and worthwhile.

**5. Hey, that last update was quick. Now why can't you do that more often?**

Well, you know I found out recently that writing fanfics could be a full time job. I mean with the idea thinking, sorting, integrating, rethinking, writing, revision, etc, it really takes more time than I thought. I just got the free time to do it last time and this time, especially since the idea came together really well. However, as the stuff gets more and more complex, like in a few more chapters, I will have to slow down to organize my ideas. I have so much in mind, I just need to find a way to integrate them in without cluttering up the plot.

**6. Why do some of the characters begin to seem OOC? Especially Naruto.**

If you have been reading since the beginning, you probably didn't notice I added OOC warning on synopsis. I think I can do anything I want with Anko since she is relatively unknown and Sakura since I've seen just about every side of her in other fanfics. Now as for Naruto, you can tell by now he is transforming into a vampire (I hope I didn't spoil anything for you with that. ), so his persona is starting to change. I'm not saying how, why, and to what extent, but just leave your mind open to changes. If the speeches seem forced, I apologize since I'm still not used to dialogue, and maybe I'll try to make it smoother in a revision. Its not that awkward is it? As for words, some character utter OOC, think of it as a few reasons, one they are diverting from their original story persona, second the original japanese could have been translated to pretty complex english words if those scanlators/fansubbers took the time to, and remember Naruto was talking latin a two chapters ago, so anything goes.

**7. Can you explain the scar again?**

Ok, let's try a different approach. Just imagine that Naruto had gotten a deep slash on the back by a katana, and it left a permanent scar there. Now take away the katana, and you basically have a slash forming on Naruto's back for no reason (well, you don't know, but I do. ). Now it basically is a vertical scar running along the middle of his back (his spinal column) from the base of his neck to the middle of his back. The scar does not every fully heal, like you know the blood crusting over and caking (you know what that is right?) Instead when it stops bleeding it, will only fade away in color becoming a dull, palish color. Its not gross or anything except, it looks like Naruto was tortured or something. Hmmm, sort of like Ibuki (I think that's his name), the examiner from the first part of the chuunin exam. I hope this helped and not made it more confusing. Maybe I'll draw a quick picture with photoshop of how it looks later, probably after I revise some stuff in the earlier chapters.

**8. What about the moralist point of view on the story? I mean Naruto is a kid, so is Sakura, and Anko is an adult by all means.**

Let me start out by saying I do understand where you're coming from. I do think as they are NOW, pairing the three up like this would be wrong. But I promise, when the actual relationship really starts, I will make it so its that bad anymore. I can't promise all of you are going to be all right with it, but I'll try to appease without ruining my story. Right now, what Naruto and Anko share will be sympathy then friendship, and maybe even brother-sister affection. This is directed at thatwasabigfart and others who has previously expressed concerns in this area. I don't mind flamers and all, but when you do flame, please try to keep it constructive, neh? And please keep it down on the insults, if you really find it so bad that you need to write that then this isn't the story for you, there are well over four thousand Naruto stories on this site alone for you to choose from.

**9. Will you be revising your earlier chapters?**

Yes, probably this weekend, one chapter at a time. Not grammatically, just in terms of look, like revising the initial synopsis and the paragraphing on the prologue.

10. How well do you know Latin?

Ok, for those who are really good with latin, you'd probably noticed that, I don't put the verb in the end. I only learnt Latin in highschool, and I'm using an English-Latin

Disclaimer: This is depressing. I'm devoting time thinking of new things to write for the disclaimer. To the lawyer reading through looking for this, I have three advice for you: go drink something stronger than light ale, abandon your hopes for world domination, stop having fantasies about Martha Stewart, then pack up your things and move out of your parents' basement. Lol. Oh, and for your sake alone; I don't own Naruto.

* * *

That cheered me up. Formatting for this chapter:****

"Blah" – Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah" _– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking  
**"Blah" – **Mystery Person B Talking  
**'Blah' – **Mystery Person B Thinking

Note: There are two types of thinking, and its all situational. If we are in Naruto's mind, thinking would be private thoughts, but, in the real world, thinking would be talking mentally.

* * *

_  
  
Reflections_

**_Erantne aut nostri properi sceli eicient in nostra exilia?_**

"PERVERT!"

The shout rattled the normally quite streets of Konoha. The people on the street curious at what happened took a look, but when they spotted a white haired man step out of a bar with a red hand print on his left cheek, they simply shook their head and resumed their journeys.

"Jeez, how am I suppose to get the materials for volume 8 when the girls here are so rough?" The man complained to no one is particular, but on a second thought, he smirked. "Well, I do like them spicy like this."

_ 'It's been a long time I've been back and I get this as a welcome,'_ the man with the tattooed eye sighed_. 'Hmm, I think I'm just in time for the Chunnin exam, might as well head over for a look, the bathhouses are still filled with old hags right now, the beauties aint coming 'till the evening.'_

Thus the weird figure began walking toward the Forest of Death. Everyone got out of his way, not from fear of his power but his behavior. It's not everyday they see a exotically dressed old man blushing and giggling down the street.

* * *

It was definitely a different voice. The soothing tone filled with sadness and remorse was gone. This voice was one filled with venom, hatred, contempt, and pure rage. It was the voice of an untamable beast.

Naruto could feel himself shaking, not from fear, but from the pressure of the raw hatred emanating from the far corner of the tunnel. He looked to his right to find the opening he saw last time and found the way blocked by a weird looking seal; it was different from last time. He heard the growling in the distance and began to make his way toward the source of the sound.

**"You are pitiful, brat."** The voice boomed throughout the tunnel, echoing in the distance.

"Who are you?" Naruto yelled back, undaunted by the voice.

**"I am you."** Naruto could even hear the smirk in the voice.

"What do you mean?" Naruto uttered with suspicion.

**"We are one and the same. Born in the realm of light, abandoned into the pits of despair, and crawling out only to fulfill our deepest desire."** The cyanical voice laughed as he finished answering.

"And what is that?" Naruto asked, uncertain whether he really wanted to know or not.

**"Why else would any of us forsaken creations of God exist? To kill, of course!"**

By now, Naruto had come quite close to the source of the voice. He could feel fiery breaths of air pushing against him at every syllable. He wanted to come closer, but he noticed in front of him the ground was missing. He inched closer to the ledge and couldn't make out the bottom of the pit from the dim lights.

So he looked back at the source of the voice. "I am not damned, and I do not want to kill anyone!" Naruto yelled in response.

**"Really now? Who do you think you are lying to, brat? I know you better than you know yourself. I've heard your pleads for deaths and destruction in the deepest and darkest recesses of your mind. We are one and the same."** As the voice spoke, Naruto could even imagine the smile that grazed the face of the voice as it finished talking.

"Who the hell are you?!?" Naruto was losing the last of his composure.

** "_Who the hell? _That's funny, brat, because I am hell. I am the hell that you've lived through all your life, if you can call it a life. Are you really satisfied living like this?"** The voice challenged.

"As long as there are a few people in my bleak existence who recognize me for me, I'll be ok." Naruto tried to sound confident, but as he felt the glare of this creature upon him, his belief began to waver.

**"Listen to yourself, brat. Humans are truly sickened and greedy creatures. They were endowed a place in Eden, but they chose to become Gods themselves by eating the fruits of knowledge. In the midst of a race of people with insatiable a greed and lust for power, we have an oddity in you, content with the illusion of just a few people _recognizing_ you."** The voice mocked angrily.

"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY EXISTENCE! I WILL CHOOSE MY OWN FATE!" Naruto cold feel his blood rushing through his body. When the voice laughed at his rebuttal like it was a joke, Naruto was getting ready to jump over the missing platform to whatever fate has in store for him on the other side. He didn't even notice that he was clenching his fist so hard that it was drawing out blood.

**"You are depressing me, brat. You are truly pathetic. So I leave you with this single punishment, I will allow you to live as you have been and we'll see just how well your plan is going to work out. I want to see the look on your face when the people, whom you hang onto so dearly, betray you."** The voice began to fade away and the tunnel began to darken.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?" Naruto screamed back, finding nothing else to say.

**"You'll find out, brat. I'll be watching you 'till then."** The voice was barely above a whisper. When the lights had finally dimmed out, Naruto found the ground below him collapsing and threw himself behind, onto what he hoped was solid ground.

* * *

Anko had given up trying to wake Naruto up. She was relieved when she found out he was just sleeping peacefully on the floor. She used her arms to carry the boy to the nearby bed and laid him on his stomach to examine his wound.

_ 'It's a stranger scar. It doesn't seem to have been made by any weapon or jutsus I've ever heard of. The cut is deep, rough yet clean. I do not sense any evidence of damaged tissue. Its as if none of the cells are broken, simply divided along this line. Maybe that's why I don't see evidence of blood clots forming on the surface of the wound, but that doesn't explain how he got it.'_

According to Kakashi's classified report that she had read shortly after the meeting with the Hokage, she thought such a wound should have at least started to patch itself up with the Kyubi's powers.

She was deep in her thought when Naruto started to thrash lightly in his bed. At first, she thought it was kind of cute how the boy was still so innocent despite all he has been through. She was starting to worry a little, so she thought to check his pupils to see if they were dilated.

She used one hand to open his eyelids and looked in, only find a red abyss staring back at her. She would have jumped back had she not seen it before. _'How long has it been since I've seen that eye? That haunting yet intoxicating eye. How long has it been since I've thought of him?'_ But she knew in her heart, his image came up every night in her dreams and nightmares, though sometimes with him there, it was hard to tell which it was.

It was then that the thought suddenly struck her: the uncanny resemblence between the boy lying in front of him and the man who has stayed in her mind for what seemed like an eternity. It was the attitude, the personality, the face, the hair color, and, most of all, the eye. _'But it couldn't be, could it? He didn't have any child with that woman, and even if he did, why would he turn the child into the Kyubi vessel? Was he the kind of man who would forsake his own child for the sake of his village?'_

She continued to ponder about her newly made discovery as she sat next to the boy, not noticing how her fingers were voluntarily tracing the scar on his back. She was finally snapped out of revere by the sight of blood oozing out of Naruto's tightly clenched fists. Trying as hard as she could, she had no way of stopping him. Then suddenly without warning, the boy woke up and launched himself at her.

As she struggled to get the boy away, she noticed he wasn't awake yet. She was about to slap his face, when she noticed the tears on his eyes. They were tears of blood.

Suddenly, the door sprang open and in came Sakura, here to retrieve the two to the arena.

* * *

Naruto has found himself in darkness once more. Everything the voice had said to him struck a chord within him, and he couldn't help but sob at the memories of his life. As he began to sink deeper and deeper into the dark abyss, he felt warmth around him. It was something he never felt before.

Naruto lazy sat up and rubbed his eyes, noting on the back of his mind how sore they were. Then he noticed his surroundings. Lying below him in a very well misunderstood position was Anko. Before he could even apologize, he felt a movement toward his face from the side.

* * *

They were walking quietly towards the arena. Sakura was in front, obviously angry. Naruto was behind her, clutching his right cheek in pain.

'_Is there a jutsu for slapping? I think Sakura just used it on me, my face feels really swollen. What was her problem anyways?'_ Naruto mumbled in his mind.

Meanwhile, Sakura was busy doing her own cursing. _'I can't that Naruto was actually a pervert. Just as I was beginning to be nice to him, he shows his true color. That slap serves him right.'_

With their faces and body movement showing their expressions earnestly, Anko was having a hard time trying to keep her laughs from coming out.

Naruto couldn't take anymore, and finally decided to be a man and be the first to try to resolve the situation. "Look Sakura-chan, I really didn't do that on purpose. I was having a nightmare, then later I found myself in a compromising position like that and you come in with your slap on the face. It really wasn't my fault."

But before Sakura had a chance to respond, Anko decided to have a little fun and came up behind Naruto, whispered in his ear loud enough for Sakura to hear. "Oh reaalllyy? Are you sure it doesn't just mean you are subconsciously in love with me and that was your way of showing it? You're a little young for my usual taste, but there's a first time for everything you know." She finished with a wink.

Sakura, seeing Naruto's blush, was about to either walk up to him and deliver a slap to his other cheek or stomp away when Anko finally gave up trying to hold it in.

"You two are hilarious. Lighten up would you? What are you guys, dating or something?" She chuckled under her breath.

As Naruto blushed at this and looked at an equally embarrassed Sakura, Sakura noticed this and recovered by her usual rebuttal.

"No way! Why in the world would I date him? Sasuke-kun is the only one for me!" She shouted, stomping away in rage. If she had turned around, she would have seen the hurt flashing before Naruto's face.

Anko, however, did notice it. And summing the pieces together, she figured out the situation between the members of team seven. '_Foolish girl. That boy will never see you as you want him to. If you spend all your time and effort trying to reach that Castle in the Sky, you will miss the things around you. Trust me, I know from experience.' _She said, shaking her head and ending it with a sigh.

Naruto couldn't blame Anko for this, since it wasn't her fault. He could have no one to blame but himself. So he put on his classic I'm-Naruto-I'm-Always-Fine grin and started walking to the arena again. But Anko was not fooled, for it reminded her of her own fake smile that aimed to not only fool those around her but also herself as well.

As the three made it to the arena, they could see the first match finishing up. Sakura and Naruto went up to the bleachers, while Anko joined the Sandaime in the front of the arena. She took a moment before whispering what had just transpired, though leaving the end part out, to the Hokage, who merely nodded.

* * *

The matches went on one by one. Naruto was having a hard time concentrating as he couldn't help but think back to his dream.

_'I don't care what that voice said. I know myself best. My dream is to become the Hokage.'_ Naruto tried to confirm for himself. _'And if I don't have that dream, what else would I have left?'_

As he went deeper and deeper into doubt, he began to lose track of time. Until finally, shouts of surprised awoke him from his thoughts.

It took him a moment to see what was happening. Ino was lying collapsed on the floor while Sakura was just standing there. Naruto was about to shout in joy when he heard Sakura's words.

"See Sakura? I won fair and square, better luck next time. Ref, please call-"

"SAKURA-CHAN! What the hell are you doing? Are you going to give up now? Didn't you want to become stronger?" Naruto shouted as he finally realized what had happened.

"Are you an idiot? There's no way she can do anything even if she heard you. I'm in control of her body now and this match is mine!"

"THINK AGAIN, INO PIG!" Inner Sakura had awoken after Naruto's shout.

The battle resumed its full course. Though it ended with a draw, Naruto was proud of Sakura for doing her best in the match. He was able to help her out, even if it's just a small push in the right direction.

* * *

As medic-nins left the two girls to sleep and rest on the bleachers, thus allowed the next match to begin, Sakura was having a dream about her childhood.

Flashback

A 6-year-old Naruto was playing by himself when he saw a familiar pink haired girl walking by. She was clumsy and often made mistakes, thus was often the object of teasing. It really was an exact opposite of Naruto, whom everyone just ignored.

She was walking around in her newly bought shoes, jumping in the rain, like any little kids enjoyed to do, when she slipped. She fell face first into a pool of mud.

The other kids hurried to her and as she got up, they couldn't help but laugh at her appearance. The mud had left a ring on her two eyes and left a long line on her forehead. With half of her body covered in mud, she looked amazingly like a pink raccoon with single eyebrow.

Being the creative children they were, many of them already thought of nicknames for her. As Sakura cringed and began to get teary when she heard the first, "Unibrow Racco-"

A yell was heard as the kids momentarily stopped and looked back at the playground as they saw Naruto sliding face down the slide. As he got near the edge, he tried to stop himself, but with little chubby hands, he couldn't and fell face first into the mud.

He slowly got up, covered in mud, and uttered a soft. "Oops, I slipped," laughing sheepishly.

The roar of laughter was louder than ever as the other kids, forgetting about the raccoon, and focused their attention at the idiot boy. Even Sakura stopped crying and joined in the laughter.

All the while, Naruto just scratched the back of his and joined in the laughter as the other kids laughed and called him an idiot. He, meanwhile, took one side glance at Sakura, which she noticed had a sense of joy and satisfaction.

End of Flashback

Sakura felt herself slowly waking up. She felt dead tired but she was concentrating on that dream.

_'That was such a long time ago, I wonder why I remembered just now. I can't believe Naruto actually covered for me, if he didn't that nickname would have stuck with me forever, and I'm sure that Ino-pig would have used it by now. I don't know if he remembers, but I really better thank him for it later on.'_

She was snapped out of her thoughts and jolted wide awake when she heard the next match was up. She opened her eyes, scanned her surroundings and found the board. It read: "Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba."

* * *

Translation:

_'Erantne aut nostri properi sceli eicient in nostra exilia?_' – 'Or was it our own sins that threw us in our plight?'


	7. Anger

Hope you liked how fast the last chapter was updated. Sorry, this one took so longer, I don't write well in humid weather and I had a lot to do these two weeks, the next one should come out this weekend or the middle of next week.. I finally got some of my ideas sorted out, because this is where my ideas start affecting the storyline more, so I have to make the right choices the first time around.

If you've noticed, I've revised the earlier chapters a little, just to make the chapters seem about the same, since I've gone through some formatting changes. I did it sort of fast, and I think I got the formatting down but like when I made those smiley faces, they didn't come out well. Now they have this thing against indenting, sigh

Btw, can someone tell me what's Naruto's age on the latest chapter of the scanlation of the manga (chapter 224 I think), the part where he goes after Sasuke? Thanks.

**1. I wanna see Hinata in the story with Naruto!**

Well, if I see some sort of opportunity to add her, I will. But I first need to get some more ideas about her and Naruto. The thing is, in all the fanfics I've seen about NaruHina, I had a hard time buying it completely. The only place where I've really bought it is in fanarts about the two of them. I just need to find a way to good way to bring them together and build up their relationship. Her problem is she's too shy in the original story, I really want OOC through process and experience build up, and I think it'll be really slow with her. So suggestions on how I may go about it would be greatly appreciated. Until then, I'll focus on the other two girls.

**2. Why didn't I do the battles for the other characters?**

Well, since nothing has changed for the other characters, I didn't want to waste time to divert from the original plot. I mean I didn't see the point in writing out the original battle sequence or taking the effort to change them in anyway since those characters haven't changed at all.

**3. Who is the other voice?**

I'm guessing you mean the first one. Well remember what I said about it being a complex story, so I'm adding a lot of info that doesn't add up yet, but will eventually.

**4. Will Naruto be able to walk in light? What abilities will he have?**

I used to be a big fan of amazing powers and I still actually am, but I can see that it will be too cliché if I gave him too much. So instead I've opted for a compromise which you will see as we move the story along; I'm sure you won't be disappointed..

**5. So have you decided on the other pairings? What about yaoi?**

Well it all depends on the idea of a third girl. Right now I'm thinking of SasuIno, cause I already have some ideas for them. So basically, if you want me to do a particular pair, please give me some suggestions on how to go about it, and I'll see if it will fit into my original story line. Personally, I've recently seen something of JiraiyaTsunade and I thought it was funny, but then its like two people in their fifties, I mean that's like grandparent age… Maybe some other original pairings, KakaHina or something, we'll see.

As for yaoi, I'm sorry but I'm uncomfortable with the subject. I have nothing against people who write them or read them, I just don't think, as a guy, I have the level of confidence to write one.

**6. Is the pairing for the fights going to stay the same as the original?**

Well, for the preliminary, it will. But I think I will change the finals a little bit, but we'll see.

**7. You're getting faster and faster with updates, will this continue?**

Hmmm, that's hard to say. I just happened to have some free times these days. Once after August 20th, I will be at college, and it'll probably an update every two-three weeks, I don't know how busy I will be. But I do have a proposition for you all that I think is pretty funny (I got this idea from the story Rurouni Naruto, also found here on , great story btw):

If I get **50** reviews per a chapter, I will update within **a week**.  
If I get **75** reviews per a chapter, I will update within **3 days**.  
If I get **100** reviews per a chapter, I will update within **24 hours**! 

But seriously, I'll try to devote as much time as I can to the writing of this story. It's only that if you give me lots of reviews, I'll just prioritize this more. I will follow this rule and see how well it goes. So if by chance I update then two days later I got 100 reviews suddenly, you can expect the next update in 24 hrs, and etc. Please try to make a review on each chapter so when I go back and do revisions, I'll know what to correct.

Disclaimer I don't own Naruto, and if I really did own Naruto, wouldn't I be trying my hands on the original story than be here doing something about vampires and a slightly controversial pairing? Well, I do think it's an interesting twist though.

* * *

**Formatting style for this chapter:**

"Blah" – Talking  
"**_Blah_" **– Talking in Unusual Way  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah" _– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking  
**"Blah" – **Mystery Person B Talking  
**'Blah' – **Mystery Person B Thinking

**NEW** Note: When the mystery voices are talking, its always in Naruto's head only for now, so basically if they are talking, Naruto can hear it, but if they are thinking, the thoughts are private. Sorry if this a little confusing.

* * *

_Anger_

**_Nostrae_****_ dexterae iam inficitae sunt._****__**

The two fighters came down to the arena and looked over each other. Kiba always had very little opinion of Naruto; he simply saw him as a worry free prankster. He figured the only reason why he had it so far in the exam was thanks to his teammate, the rookie genius, Uchiha Sasuke. He felt lucky that he was to be paired against someone whose nickname is actually "Dead Last." Sensing an easy victory, he thought he'd taunt his opponent a little, just for the hell of it.

"To think, of all the people I could fight, it had to be dead last," Kiba shouted arrogantly.

Naruto would have normally lost it by just that, but right now, he had a headache. He has felt a dulling sensation ever since he left the infirmary in that awkward manner, and instead of going away, it simply got stronger. It didn't feel like any sort of headache he has ever felt before. Rather than a sense of pain, he felt as if someone was wrapping a blanket around his head. He could barely make out the words coming from Kiba's mouth.

"Cat got your tongue, Dead Last?" Kiba was beginning to get annoyed at the lack of an outburst from the normally loud-mouthed boy.

Meanwhile, everyone else in the arena was making their own predictions as to the match.

_'I don't quite know the full capabilities of this boy, but if Kiba fights fully and seriously, he should have no problem.'_ Kurenai concluded with confidence.

_'What the hell is Naruto doing?!?' _Inner Sakura was screaming as Sakura watched the match with worry. '_Start insulting the dog boy._' She still had trouble remembering names of any other boy other than Sasuke.

_'Kiba-kun, you really should stop hurting Naruto-kun's feeling like that.' _Hinata was watching with worry and confusion, trying to decide whether to support her friend and teammate or her crush. '_Uzumaki__ Naruto, huh?__ I wonder what fate holds for you._' Neji thought. _'Show me what you can do, kid.'_ Anko thought with a smirk, then frowned, _'Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?'_  
  
_'What was that thing on his back awhile back?'_ Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms to contemplate, however, no feasible answer came to mind, so he sighed and went with his signature remark. _'This is so troublesome.'_

He was not the only one to remember the sight some of the people in this arena had seen earlier. Some had automatically put it in the back of their minds so they could concentrate in the matches, while others tried to forget like normal humans by trying to deceive themselves to think it was some sort of illusion. The shock from the scene had still not worn off from their minds. _'_

_I hope this match won't go by worse than Sasuke's.' _The Hokage prayed to himself. He then suddenly felt the aura of someone with a immense amount of chakra behind him, and finally, for the first time today, he smiled.

"The boy sure knows how to say all the wrong words at the wrong time." The voice came from behind the Hokage and the examiners_._ They turned around to find what the Hokage had recognized instantly, one of the Legendary Senin, Jiraiya.

"Welcome back, Jiraiya, your timing couldn't have been better." The Hokage told his former student.

"Well, this is the season when girls start using the bath house…" Jiraiya suddenly forgot whose presence he was in front of and coughed. "Ahem…Is that boy who I think he is?" To which the Hokage gave a small nod.

_'Looks like I was right to stop by the village, even though I missed the annual bikini judging competition at the Water Country.'_ As the Hokage and others watched the Senin suddenly daydreaming and blushing, those who didn't know the legendy Senin had questions hanging from their face, and the ones who knew him well could only shake their head.

After awhile, the Hokage's attempts at coughing seemed to have snapped Jiraiya out of his fantasies and back into reality. It's really a wonder how quickly the man can go from a pervert to a Senin in 60 nanoseconds flat. Soon, their attention was soon on the match once more.

"What the hell is wrong with you, huh? Speak up!" Kiba felt himself in such a fury over the lack of emotion over Naruto's features that he decided it was time to attack. He yelled out "Gatsuuga! (Piercing Fang)" and put himself in a spin, aimed at Naruto, who meanwhile had his head down and showed no response to this attack at all.

The force from the attack pushed Naruto's back into the stone wall. The dent his body created in the concrete wall had blood stains on it, many of the spectators had a guess to where the blood came from. For awhile he showed no sign of trying to get up, so Kiba assumed with the evidence of the blood that this was it.

"Hey, ref, you might as well call it a match now." He announced with a smirk.

As the ref, annoyed at the loud mouth kid telling him what to do, came between them, prepared to announce the winner, he suddenly noticed Naruto's hands twitching.

_"_Why?" Naruto said in a whisper, barely loud enough for anyone else to hear. He then proceeded to stand up, the debris falling off his shoulders and hair as he raised himself to his legs once more, with his head still down. Those in the arena strained their ears to listen.

"Why does it have to be like this?" Another soft whisper came.

"What are you an idiot?" Kiba, angered more so by the way Naruto shrugged off his best solo Piercing Fang attack than by his attitude at the minute. So he got ready for his favorite style of attack.

Giving a small node to his canine companion, Akamaru, he made a quick seal and called out, "Juujuin Bunshin no Jutsu! (Beast Human Form no Jutsu)" Even with two Kibas now on the field, Naruto still showed no sign of any emotion at all.

_'Be patient, Kiba, don't let your frustrations control you,'_ Kurenai was now trying her hands on telepathy; she was truly frustrated by how quickly Kiba had started using this move.

_'I hope Naruto is behaving this way on purpose.'_ Many others were having similar thoughts as the Hokage as they watched the canine pair continue to attack relentlessly at Naruto.

_'What the hell is the kid doing? It can't be the seal, I can clearly see that it has not been activated yet.'_ Anko found herself worrying about the genin she had not even knew existed 12 hours ago.

Sakura was trying to worry about Naruto, but found herself torn between her worry for him and Sasuke. Even when she finally decided to just worry about the teammate that she might actually help a little with, she found herself at a loss to what words of encouragement she could utter. _'The only person I've ever cheered for and supported has been Sasuke-kun. Gosh, even the bad-first-impression Lee-san got more support from me than I ever showed Naruto. It'll be weird if I suddenly do it now, so maybe its better if I just support him spiritually.'_ And for the first time ever, Inner Sakura glared at herself.

As the battle went on, the confusion and looks of worry on some of the faces couldn't be hidden any longer. Whenever the spectators got a clear look at Naruto before Kiba proceeded to attack again, the favorite orange jumpsuit on his body would be shredded a little more and a little bit more bruises would show up on his body. Yet he would get up again and again, every once in awhile whisper some more. The repetitions of these full fledged attacks was even tiring Kiba and his little companion out by now.

Some were beginning to wonder if Naruto had fallen unconscious by now and was only getting up through shear willpower. None of them knew how close to the truth they were as Naruto fell on his hands and knees, still with his head down. Naruto no longer heard any of the insults or felt any of the attacks of Kiba anymore. All he truly took notice was of the fact that, as usual, not a single voice spoke out in his defense nor a single soul came out to his aid. This has always been his life…

.:Flashback:.

A 5 year old Naruto is timidly walking down the street when he notices a young couple in front of him dropping a wallet. Seeing a chance to do a good deed, he picks it up and runs toward the young couple.

He lightly taps them, puts on his best smile, and holds out the wallet. "Ano sa, I picked up this-" A cold slap met his left cheek.

"Not only are you a monster, but a thief as well? You sicken me." The female uttered in disgust.

"N-No, I didn't!" The young Naruto stuttered in panic.

"It's alright, darling, I'll protect you from this fiend." Her male companion spoke up and wrapped one of his arms around her.

_'Why do you hate me so?'_

People nearby came near them and joined in.

"What's going on here? Oh, YOU, go back to your own kind!"

"He stole this nice couple's wallet!"

"It's not true!" Naruto wanted to run away. He looked around, not a single heart came to his defense. Only a wall of contempt surrounded him with absolutely no way out.

"What?!? And after all our generosity toward you, allowing you to actually live in our village and, in the process, endanger our safety and that of our children? You will still do something like this?"

_'Why is my existence a curse?'_

"Stop!" Naruto was in tears.

"Well, it is to be expected of a creature like him."

"Stop…" Naruto felt his knees give out under the pressure of the crowd.

"Why is he even still alive?"

_'Why was I born?'_  
**_"Curne nascor?"  
  
_**

"I guess the Hokage wants some sort of trump card if the village ever goes to war."

_'Am I not like you?'_  
**_"Sumne smiles te?"  
  
_**

****"Oh, so he's just a tool, right?"

"Isn't that obvious? We humans are the Children of God, how can this thing be one of us?"

_'Where is God?'  
_**_"Unde estne Deus?"  
  
_****__**

"Maybe if we try to ignore him, he will disappear." 

"Why even try to ignore him? I never acknowledged his existence before in my life."

_'Why do I exist?'_  
**_"Quidne existo?"_****__**  
  
.:End of Flashback:.

_'What was my sin?'_  
**_"Quidnam estne meus nefas?"_**

**__**

Everyone in the arena could now hear Naruto perfectly and it was startling. Even if the fact that he is speaking in an unrecognizable tongue is ignored, the dramatic change in the sound of his voice couldn't be.

_'Why must I suffer so?'_  
**_"Quidne egeone dolerere?"  
  
_****__**

It was a tone of one who has given up all hope of living and a mood of hatred so deep it could make the flesh bleed. Paired this all up with a voice that possessed a madman's depth and an angel's serenity, the result was one that did not belong to a 12 year old boy.

_'Does God have no mercy?'_  
**_"Habetne Deus ne clementiam?"  
  
_****__**

"Oy, ref, I think you should stop the match now, the boy's hallucinating." Kiba tried to ignore what was happening and just waved it off as a last desperate trick done by the prankster.

On the bleachers, however, all eyes were still on Naruto. He had his head down and was on his hands and knees, as if in a trance. His shirt was just about gone by now, including the bandages wrapped around his scar.

For the first time, Kiba and some of the others in the arena saw the scar. Those who did not feel a little queasy had a stunned impression on their face.

Suddenly, they could see that the seal Anko had made earlier, suddenly appearing again on Naruto's neck. Then it began to glow a bright orange color. Then, like a paper in flame, it began to burn itself off the skin and disappear.

_'Can my tainted hands ever be cleansed?'  
_**_"Purgati erantne semper infecti mei laevi?"  
  
_**

_'That was a seal I spent years on developing, how did it just disappear just now?_' Expecting the Cursed Seal to now appear, Anko got ready to signal for the match to be stopped. But then she noticed the scar on Naruto's back beginning to glow a deep red as blood began to flow from it once more. Instead of just freely flowing down, it collected itself right at the bottom of the scar, in the middle of Naruto's back.

An ear shattering scream of pain from Naruto prompted all of them to notice that the scar was beginning to move. While the base at the middle of his back stayed there, the upper end was beginning to swirl clockwise. It was then that Anko and a few others noticed, it had become something resembling the swirl of the cursed seal. As the scar stopped swirling, the edge of it suddenly made a slash backward, creating a hook pointing in the other direction. (A/N: To see the rendering I did myself, go to the link in my profile page. )

_'It's been a long time since I've seen something like that, I wished it had been an eternity.'_ Jiraiya watched with dread. _'However, there is something odd about this particular one.'_

_'What is happening to you, Naruto? Please be ok.'_ Sakura prayed under her breath. 'WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT EARLIER?!?' Inner Sakura was shouting in her mind.

'Or must I rebel against God to break free?'  
**_"Autne indigeo insurgere contra Deum ut abrumpavi liberam?"  
  
_****__**

With those words, a hint of light began to be emitted from his body. The people around him saw only a snarling mouth under his lowered head. His hair then began to grow longer and darkened slightly, soon it had grown long enough that it no longer spiked like before and had grown into a dirty blonde type of color.

It was then that the transformation on his back stopped and his hair stopped growing. Suddenly, his snarl turned into a fox-like grin, however, it was not the same friendly and cocky type they were used to, and he began to raise his head. In place of his once gentle blue eyes was now a set of scorching red.

'_He looks just like…'_ The Hokage and Jiraiya stared wide-eyed at the replica of the Fourth's image in front of them. The other jounins recognized the similarity as well but not all of them understood why the eyes were red.

_'Those eyes…he was the only with those eyes. Why do you have them, Naruto?'_ Anko felt herself going weak from just the sight of those eyes.__

For awhile Kiba was just plain stunned, the same can be said to all the genins and even ninja present. It was then Kiba felt a fear in him that he had not experienced before. He felt himself panicing over what to do, so he decided to trust his instincts and attack.

However, as he got ready, he felt Akamaru, in his bunshin form, violently shaking his head in fear. Normally, Kiba would have listened to his canine companion, but right now, he wasn't his normal self. So he took his stance alone and attacked.

The dust covered half the arena as the attack continued. Then as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Not a single sound could be heard from below as the spectators all leaned against the rail in suspense.

When the dust had cleared, everyone can see Naruto just standing there with cuts all over his body, the smirk never leaving his face. Naruto slowly moved his arm into the air, looked at a particular wide wound, now gushing out blood under the bright lights of the arena, admiring how it glistened in the light. Then with a graceful movement, he brought it to his face and, with eyes of hunger and lips of lust, he trailed his tongue over the wound, soaking up all the excess blood. He then closed his mouth, apparently savoring the taste before swallowing the blood, and then brought his arm back down. As he formed a wicked grin of contentment, his face, mixed with the tiny trickle of blood leaking down the left corner of his lips, looked liked the manifestation of the devil itself.

**"_Hmmm, it really has been too looonnng since I tasted something this gooodd,"_** he uttered in slurred speech, then for the first time he turned his scorching gaze toward his opponent, who cringed under the abyss. "**_Buuuttt_****_ I bet there are things that tastes muuucch better."_**

Then with a smirk on his face, he got into an unusual stance and said in an eerie smile, **_"Oy, dog breath, you ready to start this slaughter?"_**

**__**

* * *

**__**

Translation:

_'Nostrae dexterae iam inficitae sunt._' – 'Our right hands have already been tainted.'


	8. First Blood

Thank you so much for the reviews, sorry this one took longer than I planned, I've been busy preparing for college. **And for the record, I was kidding about the review-update system, I just wanted to share it with you guys cause I thought it was funny.** I'll just update whenever I can (probably once a month for now, cause I dunno how busy I will be), and you guys can just try to review whenever you can. Sounds fair, neh? So, I'm not pressuring anyone to review just for the hell of it, if you going to review please try to make a small constructive criticism. With the way my ideas and policies are constantly changing, I'll have to go back sooner or later to revise them anyways.

I'm glad you are all asking questions and making guesses about things in the story, that was the whole point of making so many mysteries in it. And trust me, I'll be making you guys ask more questions before answering them.

**1. The formatting for the last chapter.**

Since doesn't support indentations anymore, I have to apologize for the way the last chapter looked. I styled it with indentations to make the writing more clear, but...oh well. I'll just have to get used to this.

**2. Are you going to be doing a lot of renderings yourself, like fanart?**

Well, I'm not sure. I've contacted some people with fanarts themselves, and they've given me permission to make a link to their art collection. So I will use both my own and theirs for my stories. I'll be using them to try and get my story across, since I'm sort of bad at describing appearances, clothing, and etc.

**3. Will there be any character deaths?**

Well, you'll see for this chapter. Now if I start doing deaths, does the rating have to go up?

* * *

****

**Formatting style for this chapter:**

"Blah" – Talking  
"**_Blah_" **– Talking in Unusual Way  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah" _– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking  
**"Blah" – **Mystery Person B Talking  
**'Blah' – **Mystery Person B Thinking

**NEW** Note: When the mystery voices are talking, its always in Naruto's head only for now, so basically if they are talking, Naruto can hear it, but if they are thinking, the thoughts are private.

* * *

_First Blood_

_**Atqui nostri laevi esuriunt pro mages.  
  
**_

In his short 13 years on this mortal world, Kiba had never truly known fear. The protective nature his parents gave him just like wolves would give their cubs had given him an unrivaled sense of security. He had always believed that wherever he was, those who loved him would always be there with him.

But now, standing in the presence of an entity that he knew was on a whole different level, he has never felt so alone before.

Naruto had had been in that odd stance for a few minutes now. He is standing, still with that sadist look on his face, with his arms positioned as if he was meditating. He had both palms opened with only the thumb, index, and middle finger sticking out. On anyone else this stance wouldn't have looked so odd, but plastered with a facial expression that seemed as confident and deadly as what Naruto had on at the moment, not one person in the arena would have been foolished enough to rush in head first.

However, Kiba wasn't one known for thinking straight under pressure.

"For a dead last, y-you have improved a bit, but in t-the end, a dead last is always a dead last." Kiba's voice may have held some confidence, but Naruto could sense otherwise.

He decided to attack once more, and this time, only for the sake of his master, did his canine companion come along. They each aimed their attacks on their opponent's vital organs. Naruto was not reacting at all to any of these attacks.

'_In this pool of darkness I have existed for as long as I've known. Only here do I belong, and only in here do I exist.'_

The pair had created enough confusions with their earlier ones to use their final one. Two simultaneous assault on the temples of their opponent, and, without a doubt, it could prove fatal to its victim.

'_To exist is my only purpose. To live is my hope. I will not fade away!'_

"_**Be it for a moment or an eternity, I will exisit! You shall not end my futile existence!"**_

Suddenly Naruto's hands moved towards the torsos of his attackers as he guided his own body down. The sound of broken bones could be heard as Naruto's fingers slammed deep enough for them to rupture the same rib bone on each assaulter. For those in the arena who had the ability to see it, they could see Naruto ducking below his two opponents while he used his fingers, embedded in their chests, to guide them on a collision course.

The slow motion of the blood spraying out from the wound and the look of pure insanity on Naruto's face was something that only a few spectators in the arena remembered seeing before. For those who haven't, even when some turned their heads away in horror, Anko and Sakura could not find the ability to even blink.

For what seemed like an eternity, the two headed towards one another. Then at the last second, Naruto's seemed to have gotten even more wicked, if that was at all possible, and he released his fingers from their bodies. Then he jumped back into a hand stand with his legs folded. He then aimed a thunderous kick towards the already wounded torsos of the two.

The two bodies were flying towards the opposite wall like dolls. Their impact made a crater that held the imprint of half their body. As they dropped onto the floor only due to gravity, Naruto got back on his feet and began to slowly approach the two. After a long time, Kiba finally began to stir.

"**_You are right, dog breath."  
_**

That blood curling voice snapped him out of his yearning for this to be just a bad nightmare and brought his attention back at the harsh reality that was in front of him. Those eyes of blood stared back at him with such intensity.

"**_I am a dead last, alone in this world, probably for all of eternity."_** The raw emotion in these words was washing over the entire arena.

'_What have you gone through?'_ Sakura suddenly realized she didn't know much about Naruto at all, and she only knew him as a grinning idiot who, up until recently, was constantly things between her and Sasuke-kun. She then made a promise in the back of her mind to try to get to know the real Naruto under the shell better.

"**_Have you ever known a darkness so pitched that it freezes the heart? Or a pain so cruel that it numbs the soul?" _**

As he said this, Naruto began to slowly raise his right hand to his face with the fingers spread in a way so that the palm covers the nose, while the index and middle finger reaches the corner of the eyebrows, the thumb covers the right cheek, and the ring and pinky covers the left cheek. The result was a look of pure insanity.

'_What has happened to you, Naruto?'_ Both Anko and Sakura wondered with dread.

'_Yondaime, it looks that this village has failed you on your last request._' The Hokage thought in remorse.

"_**Laughter, joy, love, and friends. These things that you know so well, they are mere words to me."**_

In this position, he contemplated for awhile and then, as his feature became even more menacing if it was possible, and he began to walk with unusual grace towards Kiba. He had an air of dominance around him as he moved, each step echoing loudly in the silent arena, and each strand of the lengthy hair swaying in the invisible wind. 

"**_You sure got a lot of bark."_** He remarked casually as he slowly moved toward Kiba, who was starting to back away. **_"It makes me veeerry curious as to how's your bite."_**

With that said, he moved his hands to his side and ran toward his prey, making that lethal looking form on his hands. Kiba saw this but didn't know what to do. He looked to his side and found his faithful companion still knocked out. So he did the best thing he could: run.

Using his Piercing Fang technique, he tried to evade Naruto however he could. Yet with every turn he made, Naruto was right on his heel. Even using techniques that could elude the most dangerous predators in the wild, Naruto could not be lost at all. It was as if he was something on a different level now, beyond the laws of nature.

Kiba didn't know how long he could keep his speed up any longer, as his stamina was fading fast. Yet whenever he eased up a bit, Naruto would quickly come and give him a strange attack that held no pain but numbs the entire region. The last one hit his left thigh, and he could not feel it at all now.

He could feel himself moving slower and slower, but he no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't speed himself up again. He then looked behind him and noticed Naruto wasn't there any longer, then turning his head back in dread, his face just got there in time to meet Naruto's right knee.

The pain was excruciating. For a long time, Kiba forgot about the match from his pain. He knew his jaw was probably broken. Then as he moved his hands around, he suddenly couldn't feel them anymore, to be exact, he couldn't feel the rest of his body anymore.

When he finally opened his eyes to what the others in the arena were already seeing, panic couldn't describe what he was feeling. Both his arms and legs were now in a purplish-blue. He knew from what his parents had taught him that it was due to his limbs not getting the blood circulation they needed, but he didn't know how it happened. But before he could think anymore, he heard screams nearby.

Naruto was sprawled on the floor and banging his head against the concrete pavement.

"...**_Confute! Confute obsidere meus animus cum memoria mei mortorum! Agnosco iam adhuc lachrymam Christi serveberent mhi..."  
_**

The sound of Naruto's head hitting the pavement echoed throughout the arena. The judge could not decide what to do, so he had to let the match continue because not one of them seems to be in a better condition than the other.

Kiba's eyes were glued on the sight of the menace that had chased him like a hawk just moments ago now cracking the block of stone under his head. He would have taken advantage of the situation had he still been able to move, but he had found just moving his jaw hurt. It was then he heard that high frequency noise only those close to the canines had the ability to hear.

Akamaru was jolted awake by the piercing screams from Naruto and was trying to signal his master. He could tell that he would have to attack by himself in order to use this last opportunity they had.

Getting strength back into his transformed form, he knew he had only a single attack left in him and so he planned to aim it had the skull of his opponent. The cap on the head that was the thinnest and had the greatest chance of causing his opponent to go unconscious.

The dust from the attack filled the entire arena once more. Even the Hokage found himself holding his breath, not knowing what will happen next. Kiba found himself so curious that after struggling for awhile he finally found the energy to walk closer. He found that his arms and legs were getting better with every passing second.

Then something jumped out of the dusts. Expecting the worst, Kiba instinctively covered his face, only to be met by a cold licks to his left forearm. He was so relieved by his companion being well that he almost forgot to check up on the status of his opponent. But once he remembered, he was relieved to find Naruto lying unconscious on the ground.

'_Oh crap,_' Jiraiya suddenly noticed something odd at the sight in front of him and hurried toward Kiba.

Just as he was about to shout for the ref to come and call the match to an end before something weird happened again, he felt teethes sinking into arms. Then to his horror, attached to his arm was no longer his small furry friend but a red eyed Naruto. And off in the distance, the Naruto on the ground had transformed into Akamaru. Kiba passed out from the pain and the exhaustion of the match right there and then, but Naruto still had his mouth latched onto him.

Suddenly Naruto felt a sharp pain to his right shoulder blade and felt himself going unconscious. The last thing he saw was an white haired man looking down at him with concern written all over his face.

'_Looks like a pervert...'_ With that, Naruto drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Translation:

'_Atqui nostri laevi esuriunt pro mages._' – 'And yet our left hands yearns for more.'

'..._Confute! Confute obsidere meus animus cum memoria mei mortorum! Agnosco iam adhuc lachrymam Christi serveberent mhi...'_ – '...Stop! Stop haunting me with memories of my deaths! I already know that even the tears of Christ shall not save me...'


	9. Roads

Sorry for the wait. Yes, I will definitely finish this fanfic, no matter how long it takes. I've just been very busy with college. Feel free to IM me on AIM, my sn is drealalcoholic, if you have positive comments.

So here's the next chapter. Now there's one thing I have to say on some of the reviews. One in particular caught my attention. Yes, I'm sorry but this story will be quite blasphemous, I'm an atheist because of certain events that has happened in my life, and I do not plan on changing anytime soon. I will change the rating to R, but I cannot disclose just how controversial this fanfic may be because it might spoil it. If you read it and find it revolting, please just read some other, there are tons of other stories that are just as good.

Disclaimer: I miss writing this, but I got no more insults for lawyers anymore. But I still don't own Naruto. TT

"Blah" – Talking  
"**_Blah_" **– Talking in Unusual Way  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah" _– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking  
**"Blah" – **Mystery Person B Talking  
**'Blah' – **Mystery Person B Thinking

* * *

_  
Roads_

_**Sumus defluus...**_

With the chuunin exam going on, the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village was literally littered with diplomats, tourists, visitors, and its residents. It was a well known belief that even the Hokage did not possess the skill to pass through these streets without bumping into someone.

So it was quite odd for an empty space to appear in the middle of the street to some of the foreigners. None of the villagers would say anything, but from the looks on their faces, the foreigners assumed the same attitude towards the twelve year old boy as the natives, not really understanding the fear they had for this whisker-cheeked young boy.

* * *

The doctors had told him that he has been unconscious for two days since his battle. He had been released as soon as he had woken up, but he didn't mind since his room was not well maintained because no nurse wanted to go near it. He was told that Sasuke was resting in the room next to his, so on his way out he took a look inside. As expected, his room was well kept and his flower vase actually had flowers in them. If it had been a week ago, Naruto would have been more than agitated by this, but for some reason, he had expected this too much to care anymore. 

On the way out, he could hear the doctors and nurses making whispers behind his back like always. Like little magots without a purpose, they squirm through life through the pain and misery of outcasts like himself.

The streets looks crowded as usual, yet it felt so spacious for him. It took Naruto awhile to discover there was a gap forming around him. It was then that he felt that feeling again. That oppressive air that threatened to engulf from all sides and suffocate him out of existence. The stares had gotten colder, the contempt worsened, the hatred more unfounded, and the fear more revolting.

A dark cloud was brooding in Naruto's mind as he could feel his normally carefree mind boil with hatred for these creatures infested the home he loved so much for so long unconditionally. Just as this familiar hatred begin to corrode his mind once gain…

"Hey there, Naruto."

The sudden, chirpy voice started Naruto. It was not what he was expecting. He thought he would be hearing another one of those loud and dark whispers purposely made for him to bear witness to. Yet instead it was a familiar feminine voice with no trace of resentment or bitterness. To Naruto it was like an angel's voice reaching down from the heaven's to his little pit of hell. He turned around, wondering whether its all nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

Matarashi Anko wanted to spend more time with this boy that has caught her attention so completely, She had noticed the circle of disdain forming around the boy, and she thought she could help cheer him up. But as she saw the sea of pain in his eyes, she gasped in awe at their depth. Never had she seen eyes so innocent, so pure, and so hurt. It was the unquestionably natural combination of the contradiction between beauty and pain.

She had to recover herself as she felt him looking after her long moment of silence.

"Hey, Naruto, its great to see you finally back on your feet once more. So where are you going?"

She regretted her words as soon as they had left her mouth as she saw the look of loneliness on the young boy's face.

"Ohh, Naruto, I have a great news for you. A new ramen shop just opened up, showcasing an unbelievably exotic selection of ramen from places far away. You want to go with me to try some?"

She was confident this would cheer him up more than anything, but she was left dumbfounded when she heard his answer. "Gomen, I'm not feeling that great today, not hungry, maybe some other time."

Just as he was about to walk away, she grabbed onto him with one last try. "Naruto, there's actually something very important I have to tell you." She said with a completely serious face.

This caught his attention, so he turned around and looked at her with worry and anxiety.

She sighed and said, "Orange is not your color, Naruto. Truth be told, when I first saw you, I thought you were gay."

"WHAT?!?"

"Well I saw you arguing with Sasuke all the time, and I thought it was something of a lover's quarrel..."

Naruto's jaw could be heard dropping to the floor. It took him a moment to collect himself enough to actually think of something. "Are your serious?!? Why would you think that?"

Anko couldn't keep her face calm anymore and broke up into a fit of laughter. She didn't know why but she loved teasing the boy; it really made her day. "Ok. Ok. I was just teasing you about the gay thing, but I am serious when I say you need some new cloth, especially of a new style."

Naruto became a little worried at this. "I don't know. I'm not sure I can afford it on a genin's salary."

Anko's face softened at this, thought for a moment, and cheerfully said, "How about this? I'll let you earn that money off of me. I usually work as an examiner for either the Chunnin or Jounin examination, and I need an assistant to help me grade the papers. So what do you say? You get to earn the money to buy some new cloth, maybe to impress that pink haired girl." She added with a smirk. "And you get to spend time with a beautiful woman like me." She finished with a big smile.

This had to Naruto think. He couldn't think of any downsides to this, so he agreed. "Ok, so we start after the Chunnin exam?"

"Sure, but first we need to get you a new pair of cloth. You can earn the money to repay me later on."

The two walked through the streets to the shopping area of the village. The stares and glares they received from the others made Naruto feel really uneasy. Anko realized this but couldn't really do anything except put one of her hands down on Naruto's shoulder as a sign of support. If Naruto didn't have his head down, Anko would have spotted the blush spreading across the boy's face.

They stopped in front of a small store. Naruto didn't really understand why she had picked this particular one, and the confusion showed on his face.

Anko noticed this and replied softly, "I have been to this store before; it holds a special memory for me. They have some great stuff here." Naruto, even as dense as he may be sometimes, was able to notice the tone in her voice but decided to leave it alone for now.

They went inside and started browsing. Well, Anko did anyways; Naruto didn't quite know what to do. He just stood there and looked around, afraid to really touch anything.

On the far side of the store, he could see a mother and son picking out cloth for a new semester at the academy. The boy apparently didn't like shopping and was begging his mom to finish quickly so he could go and play with his friends.

The sight was so comical to Naruto that he could almost laugh in self pity. There was nothing in this scene that he could relate to. If it weren't for the fact that he lived in it every single moment of his life and simply adapted to it out of an instinct for survival, he would have broken down completely at the sight.

Anko was busy looking through the cloth for the one she had in mind. _'That boy looks so much like him, I think dark colors would do wonders for him, especially his sun tanned skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Let's see…he needs a new pair of pants and maybe a new jacket.'_ She thought excitedly. '_Its been a long time since I've bought anyone anything, its just as fun as it was back then_.'

She stopped her reminiscing when she spotted the articles of clothing she had in mind, and turned her head trying to find Naruto. She saw him standing there looking at something across the store. Curiosity got the best of her as she sneaked behind him and looked at what he was staring at.

She could feel her heart cringe a little for the boy. She was never really good with kids, so she tried a _creative_ approach to cheer him up. _''Well, it worked before.'_ She leaned toward the side of his and blew in his ear and said in a seductive voice, "What were you looking at?"

The look on Naruto's face was priceless. With his golden hair, his head looked like a new species of tomato. But most important of all, she was glad Naruto seemed to have forgotten about the depressing sight.

"Naruto, you really space out too much; it's not a good trait for a ninja. Here, try this on."

It was a pair of black khakis pants, a pair of black jeans, a pair of leather pants, combined with some dark shirts.

Naruto was so excited at the prospect of trying clothes that someone else actually took the effort of picking out for him that he even forgot to even say thank you, but the look of pure glee on his face was enough to satisfy Anko.

He walked toward the changing room, but then remembered something and came back. "Here, can you hold onto this for me? It's suppose to be a family heirloom." Anko just nodded, and Naruto went back.

Two minute went by, then five minutes, still no response from Naruto. Anko was getting frustrated by how she had to wait for the kid. She then felt the necklace in her right hand and brought it out in front of her. On a closer look, it was really more of a choker than a necklace.

It was a really exquisite piece of craftsmanship. It was a blue silver cross held together by two loops of links resembling two chains that goes tightly around the neck..

On the cross was not a figure of Jesus Christ but that of an angel.

It was then that Anko figured out where she had seen it before. _'It had been so long since I've seen it last. So fate decided to show it to me again, huh?'_ Anko smirked sadly, but then it came to her. _'How did Naruto get this? He didn't have any child, did he? Yet Naruto looks just like him...'_

Naruto meanwhile had been examining the scar on his back by using the wall to wall mirrors in the dressing room. Though it did not physically hurt when he touched it, he felt a wave of sadness wipe over his mind when his finger lingered across it. But he decided to brush it all aside for now and finish trying on his new cloth. He then came out of the dressing room and noticed Anko staring at the heirloom he gave her.

When he got next to her and was about to say something, she got to it first.

"Where did you get it?"

Naruto really had no answer for this, so he simply told her what the Hokage told him. "Well, according to the Hokage-sama, this is one of the heirlooms my parents left for me before they died. You can have it if you want, it really hopes no meaning to me."

'_Except a life of empty promises and broken dreams.'_ Naruto added silently.

"Ohh," Anko didn't really know what to say, but she decided she must ask the Hokage about this later, as she, of all people, deserved to know. "It's a very nice jewelry. You should have it on, maybe it'll help protect you."

Though Naruto was doubtful and didn't really want to carry a reminder of the what-ifs, he relented and put it on. At first it seemed to be a little bigger than Naruto's neck to really be a choker for him, as he got it around his neck and down, it mysteriously fitted itself perfectly on his neck.

Just as Naruto was able to ask her about why she was curious about his heirloom, Anko took notice of Naruto's new look. A simple back long sleeve shirt that hugged his skin and black jeans. It was a definite improvement over his old attire. He can no longer be mistaken for a color blind ninja kid with no fashion taste now. Anko was so happy over this new look that she decided to buy all those new clothes that Naruto tried on, as they all looked just as good, if not better, on him.

Just as she was able to ask him whether he wanted to go and try out the new ramen place now. A chunnin appeared before them.

"The Hokage-sama requests your presence immediately."

"Ok, I'll be there in…"

"The Hokage said explicitly said _immediately_." He repeated in a deadly tone.

Anko decided it must be quite serious for the Hokage to emphasis it that much, so she gave up on her plans. She turned to Naruto, who had his normal curious and confused face. "Sorry kid, I gotta go now." Then when she saw the look on his face, she added. "We can hang out more later."

Then satisfied that he calmed down, she disappeared with the chunnin in a puff of smoke.

Naruto, alone once more, decided to go and seek out his teammates. He had a lot of things to talk about with them. He begin walking, but this time, no one seem to recognize him anymore with his new cloth on. He has been blessed temporarily by the ignorance of others. What many others take for granted of a life of blending in with everyone else, he would enjoy for only a brief moment.

* * *

**  
Translation:**

'_Sumus defluus…_' – 'We are lost…'


	10. Glimpse

Hi everyone, sorry for the longest delay ever. I've been really busy with college but now its summer break. I'll try to update as much as I can, I promise. Please reread to get the feeling of the story again, I know I had to, then review and leave your comments and suggestions. I'll try to answer them to best of my abilities. It's important right now because the story could go in many directions. For example, how much of an alternate version of the original story would u like me to do? Because I haven't followed with the original manga/anime since the big battle between Sasuke and Naruto, so I can just spin off my own stuff now or follow the original plot with an alternate twist for a lil longer. Some people like these kind of stuff, while others like something completely new, say a newly discovered land or something.

Disclaimer: The only thing I don't miss, oh well, I still don't own Naruto, I don't even speak Japanese.

* * *

"Blah" – Talking  
"**_Blah_" **– Talking in Unusual Way  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah" _– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking  
**"Blah" – **Mystery Person B Talking  
**'Blah' – **Mystery Person B Thinking

* * *

_Glimpse_

_**...infinitas sine spe**_

Ah what a great season spring is, the flowers are blooming, and so are the women of Konoha. The chuunin exam has gathered a healthy collection of beauties from across the land to enjoy the luxuries offered in peaceful Konoha. One of the most popular attractions is the infamous Konoha mineral bath, second only to the Water Country's chakra-enriched baths. It is a rumor among men that this was heaven with all the goddesses roaming around. What they wouldn't give to be a fly on those walls so they can live out their short lives in bliss.

Many men had come close to death roaming around for a peek. The kunoichis that regularly visits this sacred sanctuary of women take its protection very seriously. It is even rumored that some men never made it back from their daring journey and are now working as servants to the women there. It is also said that a local bar has a tombstone dedicated to each of these brave souls, with memorial services performed at every happy hour. Amidst all these rumors, there is a tale of a legendary man, whose skills as a ninja, a man, and, above all, a pervert is second to none and have successfully infiltrated every single bathhouse across the land. No one knows his name but it is said his main feature is his white hair, a result of too much blood loss from peeping…

"DIE! YOU DAMN OPEN CLOSET PERVERT!" Naruto shouted as he lunged himself at an old geezer peeping into the women's bathhouse. Before he got close enough, a giant frog suddenly appeared below the weirdo. He found himself suddenly restrained in mid air by the giant frog's tongue.

"Keep it quiet, brat. Whatcha gonna do if I get caught?" The white haired man spoke smugly.

Trying hard as he could not to facefault, Naruto asked, "Who the hell are you?"

He was surprised when the old perverted smiled and made his ceremonious introduction. "Thank you for asking, kid. I am the holy master sennin, also known as the toad sennin." After he finished, he thought. '_Damn I'm getting so good at this, all those practices really pays off, he should be asking for my autograph in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"_

"Never heart of ya, old pervert," Naruto replied.

Catching himself from facefaulting, the legendary sennin said. "It's not nice to address your sennins, like that, Uzumaki Naruto."

This caught Naruto's attention, "How'd you know about me?"

"Idiot, I'm the legendary sennin, my instructor was the Sandaime, there's not much I don't know…"

"…cept decency..." Naruto muttered under his breath.

"…I heard that, kid. You better start speaking to me with respect. It's either Sennin, Sennin-sama, or Jiraiya-sama." So Jiraiya waited expectantly.

"Alright alright, perverted sennin."

"And stop adding those misleading words to my name! I have a reputation to keep you know. As a legendary sennin, I can't be just known for my power and skills."

This caught Naruto's attention. He had heard about the 1 month time that they would have to train after he woke up from his slumber from Kakashi-sensei. He knew he needed some sort of advisor for his training. He didn't even expect Kakashi-sensei to be teaching anyone except Sasuke. Every other competitor is either going to get training from a teacher or clan member. But for him, there is no clan or family member, or a teacher. But before his thoughts became dark again, he tried to shake his thoughts away and thought of an idea.

Then he got it. "Alright, if you're as strong as you said you are, you can prove it to me by helping me train," he said with a serious face.

After a moment of silence, Jiraiya began laughing. "You're an idiot. You got three things working against you. You're disrespectful and rude as hell. You're a noisy brat who got too much time on his hands. And most importantly…I DON"T LIKE MEN."

'_Shit, I didn't think he was this sensitive towards his own pervertedness. I thought he was an open closet pervert, unlike Kakashi-senei. Why is it that I'm surrounded by eccentric people left and right?' _He sighed as he wondered whether there was something about him that attracted such people to him.

But his thoughts were disrupted suddenly by the voices of women from the bathhouse.

"Whose out there!" "Reiko-san, I heard some voices out there!" "Let's go check it out!"

"Ugoku na!" Half a dozen women bearing blades suddenly appeared, but stopped dead in their tracks. "Who are you?"

"I was rehearsing a play out here. My name is Naruta, I'm from the Wind Country," replied a shy Naruta. Inside, Naruto was wondering, '_Why the hell do I have to do this? It's so degrading. I'm gonna make that old pervert pay for this.'_

"Oh was that all it was? That's a great relief, if it was a guy, we would have slaughtered him a dozen times before he hit the ground," one of the women spoke casually.

'_Oy oy, is it natural to say that so casually? More importantly, aren't I in a very dangerous place cause of the old pervert then?' _Naruto thought nervously. '_Wait…I got an idea."_

"Actually, I think I heard some unusual rustling in the bushes over there, you girls might want to check it out," Naruta said, pointing to a random group of shrubbery in the distance.

"Ok, and if you hear anything else, just tell us, we'll show no mercy."

"Sure thing," Naruta replied as the group of women vanished off. He transformed back into Naruto and walked off to a tree in the opposite direction.

"I know your up there, perverted sennin. You know you owe me for this. I can always come back and said I saw you here, I'm sure it'll give your reputation for being a pervert a great boost, if you can survive that is." Naruto said leaning against the tree.

"Damn you, brat, blackmailing an innocent old man, who's simplying doing his research for the sake of future," lamented Jiraiya. "Have you no heart?"

Though Jiraiya smirked in content as he watched a wave of shock wash over Naruto's face, he didn't realize it was from Naruto's inability to decide what parts of his words to correct first. "….you're fooling no one! How dumb do you think I am?...Don't answer that."

"Che," Jiraiya finally gave up as he jumped down from the tree. '_I might as well go along with the kid, besides, it's about time I see what the messiah can do.'_ "Alright alright, I give up. What do you want?"

"I need to be trained. Kakashi-sensei is training Sasuke, so I need someone to train me. So you'll have to do, perverted Sennin."

"Alright brat. But remember I'm not promising anything. And for God's sake my name is Jiraiya the legendary Sennin."

* * *

"Hokage-sama, I must have a word with you." Anko said in a serious voice as she entered his office. The appearance of that necklace on a boy regarded as the village's outcast as an heirloom was too much for her to handle calmly.

'_How long has it been since I've seen that necklace? Wasn't it thought to be lost after that battle? I searched everywhere for it, and it has haunted me for so long. Now It suddenly appears on Naruto. Does that mean Naruto is related to him? But that's not possible…right?'_

The Hokage knew something was deeply troubling her when he saw the flashes of pain, probably from the past, appear on her young face. "What is troubling you, Anko?"

"It's about Naruto and _him_." Anko said simply, knowing that the Hokage knew exactly who _he_ was.

"What do you mean?" The Hokage responded, wondering what suddenly happened that created this connection in her mind.

"I was with Naruto today, helping him buy some nice clothes for a change. And then I suddenly saw _it_, the family heirloom of that belonged to _him_. You know the one I'm talking about and do not tell me I was mistaken, because even in the next life I would still remember it." Anko said, thinking back to the past briefly.

* * *

"Ne, what is that choker around your neck?" A youthful Anko asked curiously as she leaned closer to examine the artifact on a most familiar yet blurred face.

"Oh that, it's something my family has always had. It's a necklace that the strongest member of our family is to wear, representing our pride and our desire to product all those who we cherish," replied that soothing voice.

Feeling his warm, lingering eyes upon her during the last few words, she felt the blood rushing to her face. But, knowing it was impossible to hide or resist, she decided to try asking something she has wanted to for the longest time, "Am one of those people?" Even though she could feel a smirk rising from his face, she still braced herself for his reply.

"Always."

* * *

"….can't know yet."

As she was brought back by the sound of the Hokage-sama's voice, she could feel a drop of tear moving down from the corner of her eyes. Though she hastened to wipe evidence of it away, the Hokage noticed it all too well.

Sighing in powerlessness over the past, the Hokage continued, "I'm sorry, my dear, but I can't tell you these things, they are classified in the highest level both by me and the entire village council. And I'm afraid I have to forbid you to do any investigation on your own. You have to trust me when I say this, it's for your own good."

Knowing there isn't much for her to do, she resigned herself with a nod and retreated away, knowing those dreams will come back again now. Hundreds and hundreds, all at so many different places, but all so in common in one way, _he_ was always there.

* * *

'_Why is that boy having so much trouble at such an easy task as walking over water? He can't lack talent by that much, can he? There is something very odd in his chakra, I better have a look.'_ Jiraiya decided after three hours of fruitless training. "Oy, Naruto, come over here for a second."

"Eh? Why?" Naruto asked as he stopped his practicing and walked over to Jiraiya.

"Lift up your shirt," Jiraiya commanded with a straight face. Putting one hand under his chin, he began his examination of the seals on Naruto's stomach.

'_Hmmm, the Kyuubi seal that was made to allow to boy and the Kyuubi mix their chakra has been covered over. This rough looking five part seal has stopped them from being able to mix together, but its effect is odd. A few minutes ago, I could feel a chakra, but it wasn't Naruto's and it's different from the ones the normal Kyuubi gives off. The original seal was made not only to allow the boy to use some of the Kyuubi's chakra but also prevent the build up of the Kyuubi's chakra. It seems this damn seal caused some sort of leak to occur, maybe that's why its such an odd scent, this is gonna be troublesome. But there is something odd about this leak, it doesn't seem to be contained, yet it just won't burst out. I better remove this seal and add in something to make sure a real rupture won't occur._' Jiraiya finally decided. "Hey, Naruto, raise your hands like this, banzai!"

Forming a five part seal on his right hand and a four part seal on his left hand, just as Naruto innocently raised his hands, he slammed the right then the left in quick succession into Naruto's stomach.

* * *

After two weeks of training at summoning, nothing was happening. Jiraiya finally decided to try something different. '_If personal danger is something that triggers the Kyuubi's power, I need to risk it. It's better if the boy learns it now than later.'_

Walking over to a physically exhausted Naruto, he picked him up and began walking to a nearby canyon.

'_How light his body is, yet burdened with something so great and painful._' He thought as he walked.

When Naruto opened his eyes, he saw Jiraiya in front of him. Just as he thought he heard a "gomen," he felt himself being pushed. Suddenly, as he felt his heart rising out of his chest, he turned his eyes and was stunned by his fall into the pitch black canyon.

As he tried again and again to use some means to stop or at least slow down, he began to panic. '_I'm going to die! I'm going to die! Why must I suddenly die now!_'

'_I don't want to die!_'

In the blink of an eye, he found himself on solid ground again. It was a familiar looking tunnel, but something was different. Walking in the dark tunnel, knee deep in a reddish liquid, he came up to a dead end. In front of him was a large gate, scribbed with the word "yon," and behind were two pairs of eyes. A pair of contempt and power, burning in with an orange aura that resembled the fiery sun. Another pair was there, it was smaller, tinged with a violet innocence that's contrasted by the unspeakable sadness of bloody tears.

* * *

**Translation:**

'_...infinitas sine spe.'_ – '...an eternity without hope.'


	11. Gates

It's really good to see that people still remember this story even after about a yr of inactivity. First of all, I really will definitely try to keep this story going. I've just had a bad string of luck and have been very busy the whole summer. My laptop hard drive died, so I lost like 2-3 chapters worth of story and it was really hard trying to remember some of the stuff, so ended up with an annoying case of writer's block. Sophmore year at Cornell going for a bachelor in engineering took up a lot of my time. But now that it's almost winter break, I'm able to begin the reconstruction of this story. So I promise this will eventually get done.

Second of all, a lot of you make great comments and questions that I really would like to answer, but unfortunately quite a number of them who require me to spoil a lot of the hidden surprises and twists in the story. So please don't think I'm ignoring you if I don't answer your question, I just can't answer it yet.

Lastly, I know this chapter is a little short, I'm in the process of writing out the rest of the story, so next chapter will be much longer. The main point of this chapter was more to inform people that this fic is NOT dead.

**Cliff Davis** – Thanks for your emails and continual interest in this story, I'll try my best not to disappoint.

**Dairokkan** – Hmm, good point, I'll keep it in mind. I'm just better at dealing and writing about emotions than action. And also, I still am in the middle of deciding just which road to lead this fic.

**CrimsonxRainxIsxFalling** – Thanks for your efforts! Don't worry, Naruto is gonna kick a lot of ass in this story. I hate the weak, whiny Naruto, I like the strong, angst one better. And yes, I took latin during highschool. I went to Boston Latin Schoo, the oldest public school in the country, where latin is mandatory. I can't remember vocab like I used to so I got a lil dictionary to help me. I still remember how to decline and conjugate.

**Brashen** – I'll try to update by this weekend, and don't worry, sometimes I think I'm trying to fit too many ideas in the story.

**Horriblemonster** – Thanks, I do like the prologue myself.

**Madnarutofan** – Yep, I thought it was due myself. It'll be a pretty complex triangular relationship with a lot of angst, so I might need to increase the ratings soon when the more mature stuff starts happening.

**TimeShifter** – As you've noticed, I was playing around with different ideas in the beginning, and I do have several scenarios where Hinata could come in. But its just that if I do a AnkoNaruSakuHina, isn't that too many characters? I'll have to play around with the idea and see, thanks for bringing the issue back to my attention again, I almost forgot the debate on it.

**Keltosh** – Well you got me, I did write this chapter to get things rolling, but its by no means a filler, if I was gonna do that I would have put in an omake or something. I'm just playing out the next few chs now, which is why I really need some deep input from you readers.

**Cream and Sugar** – You'll just have to wait and see, lol. I like the mature yet impulsive aspect of Anko, especially since I don't quite know much about her background, making it easier to create something. Thanks for the info about Anko, I'll use the correct name from now on.

**firecaster-hikaru** – I just remember the saying how only those you love can hurt you the most, so the best way to bring about emotions of lost and loniness is a one sided love. I'm not saying I totally won't do NaruHina moments, but I won't if it gets in the way of plot and character developments.

**gilgamesh987** – Lol, I'll try, I promise. I'll be busy when school starts late August, but I'll try to keep on going with this story. Please be patient.

**ShadowCelest117** – Good advice, I have a pretty good picture of the story twists and main plot already, and believe me, it's not bad if I do say so myself, but just wait and see.

**wolvesm0on** – Don't worry, I really don't like abandon fics, so I won't abandon this one.

**Blacky** – Ah, gomen, I do admit it's a bit of a transition chapter for me to catch up on my own story and reorient myself with the Naruto world. I had to reread the manga to get a fix on parts of the original story, I promise I'll try to do longer chapters from now on. As for dragging the story on, its hard to say since I plan to have a lot of developments and confrontations, like a small lil epic. But don't worry, I'll try and keep it fresh and exciting.

**fat3d-kyubi** – Thanks for the heads up, I'll try and ease up on the grammar mistakes from now on.

**kijo kasumi** – Lol, thanks, but that thing about reviews and how quick I'll update as a result was really just a joke. Don't worry, even though I'll be busy in college I'll try to make some time to keep on writing.

**Skuld's Sentaro4** – Don't worry, the best stuff comes to those who wait. The story appears a lil slow right now because I'm trying to create more suspense (as if I haven't already, lol), and so that I can slowly make the pairings, especially Anko/Naruto, seem more realistic. Stay tuned.

**Search and Seek and Destroy, Narutofreak22, Fei-sama, Hiei Girl 003, Night-Owl123**, **maxhrk**, **Narutofreak22**, **XAegis-SRX**, **Dan Inverse**, **JohnnyG**, **Crimsomredeyes**, **RGFJ**, **CrimsonReality**, **RuByMoOn17**, **Kitsurumenokitsune** – Thanks for your reviews, please keep on reading.

Disclaimer: Access to free, a month of Comcast high speed cable, $45, a laptop, $1600, ownership to Naruto, priceless. Too bad even a summer of endless labor still leaves me unable to buy anything in the priceless range yet.

* * *

"Blah" – Talking  
"**_Blah_" **– Talking in Unusual Way  
_'Blah'_ – Thinking  
_"Blah" _– Mystery Person A Talking  
_'Blah'_ – Mystery Person A Thinking  
**"Blah" – **Mystery Person B Talking  
**'Blah' – **Mystery Person B Thinking

* * *

_Gates_

**Agamus ad libitum, ad nauseum.**

On the edge of the ridge, Jiraiya sat there waited for some sign that pointed towards the awakening of the boy. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as he sensed a powerful presence appear behind him. However, as soon as he realized who it was, he smiled inwardly. "So how are you doing old man?" He asked the figure behind him.

The Hokage smiled at his old pupil and replied, "I've seen better days." But then as he fixed his sight back on the dark canyon, he became serious once more, "so how is he doing?"

"It seems he is almost at the middle of his transition," replied an equally serious Jiraiya.

"It looks like his plans of purging that cursed blood has failed, doesn't it?"

"I don't know about that yet, it was working up until lately when something triggered it. Do you remember the fight he had with the dog boy?" Jiraiya inquired.

"Yes, he was using the Lost Language. Even in the better days of his clan, few knew this forbidden tongue."

"Exactly, there is no way Naruto could have learnt it himself, so something or someone must have either secretly taught it or gave the knowledge of it to him."

"Yes, there have been many odd events surrounding him during the past month. Remember how he transformed his form during his fight and lost himself to total rage?" Jiraiya reminded his old sensei. "I later asked Kakashi, and I've found that when the boy had transformed under the power of the Kyuubi it was completely different. But I've never heard of any member of his clan that actually matures in appearance under a transformation or transition."

"…so many questions, yet so little time," the Hokage understood his pupil's worry. "But I think you did the right thing in bringing it out, since the transition, once started, cannot be stopped and we could only try and make the process a little easier for him to deal with."

"I have an idea that might help him along his path," Jiraiya suggested. "I'd like you to request the village council grant approval of the temporary release of Directive 666."

The Hokage knew this was going to come up eventually as Naruto grew older, but he also dreaded the day the young boy can no longer avoid confronting that edict no longer. "I know, Jiraiya, but it's not going to be easy. I don't want to tell them about our findings yet, so it's not going to be easy to convince them that Naruto is or ever will be ready."

"We owe it to him. No, not just him, we owe it to his entire clan."

"I will try my best; I just hope it's the right thing to do."

"It is all up to him now."

* * *

Two pairs of eyes that he knew all so well. A pair of suppressed rage that has been burning deep within him all so long. It burnt with anger and resentment at the unfairness of God for dealing such a bad hand. It spelled a raw hatred so strong that Naruto could feel his own legs go weak at its intensity. However, deep within them lied something more. Deep behind the reddish pupils were a scarlet black, a condemned soul trapped behind a tainted window.

The other pair was completely different. At least that's what Naruto thought at first glance, but now it was nowhere to be found in the darkness. In the blink of an eye, it seemed to have been swallowed by a darkness so haunting that he feared getting closer to the gate. But he didn't think it was an illusion, because those eyes were so much like his own whenever he looked into a mirror. Such sadness that overwhelms the soul and contaminates the heart. It is something he knows better than anyone. It had soaked up so much tears and pain that its haunting violet eyes shed blood to quell the unrestful soul.

"**Oy, brat, what are you spacing off for?"**

The thunderous voice that belonged to the pair of raging eyes brought his attention back to why he was here in the first place. As he leaned forward, trying to make out the rest of the head that the fiery eyes belonged to, he jumped back just fast enough to miss being swiped by a paw that was just as large as he was. He could feel his legs beginning to shake in the presence of the creature before him, and that was when he saw it. The tunnel's light now shined on the head of the demon fox that has been the source of all his misery for all his life.

"It's you."

"**Who else would I be? I think you fell off that cliff a little too fast and your brain aint getting enough oxygen."**

"Wasn't there someone else there?"

"**Who the hell do you think you are, ignoring me like that? When I talk to you, you respond, got that?**"

Naruto was about to nod, when he thought of the Kyuubi's last statement and remembered why he was here in the first place.

"I need your help."

The Kyuubi looked stunned from hearing these words for a few seconds and then broke down, howling in laughter.

"**HAHAHA, y..yo….you need MY help? And why in the world would I give that to you! You really don't understand your situation do you?**"

"I think it's you who doesn't understand"

Immediately, whatever mirth had been on the Kyuubi's face disappeared, and there was now a menace that he remembered seeing only a few times before. It was a bloodlust accompanied by an unmatchable power.

"**Watch what you say, brat! These gates can only do so much to keep me at bay.**"

Naruto suddenly lost it. The weeks of training and lack of rest has finally caught up to his rational mind.

"You shut up, you bastard Kyuubi. You think it's really you I fear? You are the source of all their hatred. You are the reason I've cursed my own existence since birth. You are the reason why my soul is so scarred."

"**Whatever, you are still afraid of death like all pathetic--**"

"Wrong," Naruto interrupted, breaking out in laughters of despair. "You can't possibility think after this life it is death I fear. I've seen the worst sides of humans all around me. People who fear me, the hypocritical villagers whom I swore to protect so long ago. No, it has been too long since it is death I feared. I only fear not knowing what lies beyond this bleak life of mine. What if there was more? What if things can get better? What if I can break out of this cycle of transgression when I become the Hokage? There must be more in this mortal life of mine just waiting for me."

"**And just for this you endure? What are the chances of that happening? Are you as stupid as you look?**"

"Hehe," Naruto chuckled a bit to himself. "I must really look stupid, right? Holding out like an idiot for something that probably won't ever come. But it's the only thing left for me. I'm really getting tired, I really don't know how much longer I can take it. So please, I beg you to help me just a lil. Don't do it for my sake even, do it to let me experience my desolate future."

"**Enough already you depressing brat, I'll lend you some power for now, just so I can see the expression on your face and in your heart when all hope is lost.**"

As soon as the Kyuubi said that, flood of orange chakra began to flow into Naruto, engulfing him with a power he hasn't felt since his battle in the Water Country. Remotely in the back of his mind, he wondered why it was a tad different than that which he felt during his battle with Kiba. But before he realized it, he was no longer in the pitch black tunnel, but rather free falling into oblivion once more. Realizing there was no time to lose, he put released all his energy into his last try all yelled out, as a darkness overcame his eyes in a shadow of orange.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

* * *

"You know, old man. There was something really weird about the contract Naruto signed with the toads." Jiraiya suddenly remembered.

"Why? What happened?" The Sandaime asked with a sinking feeling in his heart.

"It was void," Jiraiya answered, understanding the shocked expression on his teacher's face.

"But the only way that can happen is if-" He stopped his train of thoughts when both he and his former pupil sensed the release of a chakra that seemed all too familiar.

Before they could settle their thoughts, suddenly out of the rift leaped a gigantic fox, deeply resembling the Kyuubi in size. And on its back was a unconscious Naruto.

* * *

"**Oy, are you sure that was ok?**"

"_Sic, est melior si ne exsistaverat._

"**Che, what a crowd of depressing idiots I'm surrounded with, have it your way.**"

"_Agere faciesse."_

"**I didn't do it for you, you fool, or the pitiful brat. As long as I'm trapped here, this body is my vessel, meaning that it will be mine someday, and I can't afford it to come to any harm just yet.**"

"_Si ita dices.."_

* * *

Translation:

'_Agamus ad libitum, ad nauseum.'_ - 'We live as as we please, to the point of making one sick.'

'_Sic, est melior si ne exsistaverat.'_ - 'Yes, it's better for him if I don't exist'

'_Agere facieses.'_ – 'Thank you for your help.'

'_Si ita dices'_ - 'If you say so.'


End file.
